


Dancing to the Rhythm of Your Heartbeat

by Kybee1497



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Enemies to Lovers, F/F, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, There should be a tag for that, Well friends to enemies to friends to roommates to lovers, and I’m gay and I love that shit, and a few g rated kithes at the end, and they were ROOMMATES, ballgowns, because I say so, because I’m a ho for that shit, because they’re gay, done with this shit nick, flarrie wears princess dresses and run through a castle, idk what else to tag, ill add to it as we go, in the form of mutual pining, its a whole process, kind of, nick danforth evans, oblivious lesbians, rating is for language, the juke is minor and only in a few scenes, the lightest of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:00:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29795730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kybee1497/pseuds/Kybee1497
Summary: Flynn’s groan from across the room pulled her sluggish brain from her thoughts. “It is a fucking crime that I am running on 8 hours of sleep in the last 3 days combined and not living my best life. I should be running through an abandoned castle in a ballgown in slow motion. I want the poofy dress and tiara, I want the castle, I want the ex-enemy turned lover chasing me while I laugh and run faster. Is that too much to ask? Fuck!  But instead I’m here, with an empty coffee pot, barely functioning on no sleep, and I’m still not done. This isn’t fair. I want a refund. Who the fuck decided I should get a degree.ORThe flarrie ballgowns au that was supposed to be short and fluffy and instead it’s long and mostly fluffy
Relationships: Flynn/Carrie Wilson, Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 14
Kudos: 49





	1. Can’t Believe You Found Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [A_Tomb_With_A_View](https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_Tomb_With_A_View/gifts).



> Welcome back to fic with Kiwi. Last week we had willex as dumb gays at an amusement park. Coming up we have flarrie being a slightly different brand of dumb gays in college. 
> 
> This came to be when about 3 weeks ago I said hey friends, I want to write flarrie fluff that will be like 3-5k and not take too much time or brain power because I’m ✨tired✨. @a-tomb-with-view recommenced flarrie renting ballgowns and running through a castle and wade wanted flarrie dancing so I combined them. Three weeks and 22k later, here we are. 
> 
> I’m splitting this into 5 chapters and will be updating at least every day this week. I also have the patience of a toddler so it might be more like every morning and night for the next few days. We’ll see.
> 
> This is my first long (ish) fic so any comments or questions would be amazing, also I just love hearing from y’all.

The last Carrie Wilson expected to see of Flynn Harper was the blue of her gown disappearing into the crowd as she stepped off the stage at graduation. 

High school had destroyed any friendship they once had and they weren’t even on speaking terms by the end of senior year. So even though it hurt, Carrie wasn’t expecting to see her again unless they ran into each other at their class reunion twenty years down the road. 

Walking into the first class of her freshman year nearly 3,000 miles from home to see familiar braids in the sea of strangers, was a shock to say the least. It was also one of the best things to happen to her since she left home. 

Look, she knows things hadn’t been great between them lately but Carrie was not handling the move as well as she had been expecting. She hadn’t actually been away from home somewhere that wasn’t Julie’s, Flynn’s or Nick’s houses for more than a night or two. 

Moving across the country and into a cramped dorm with a roommate Carrie was pretty sure hated her, was more than a bit stressful. No one knew who Carrie Wilson was at Columbia, which she honestly loved. All the pressures and expectations that had been wearing her down at home didn’t exist here. She could start fresh, figure out who she was now, but it was also lonely. 

Dirty Candy had broken up after Graduation, all her girls going off to different colleges, and Carrie was burnt out. She didn’t know if she had it in her to lead a group right now. She needed a break and the chance to figure out who she was without the weight of being Carrie Wilson, daughter of a rockstar, leader of Dirty Candy, and somehow, the mean girl of Los Feliz High. Let’s just say things hadn’t gone the way she planned. 

All that was to say, that when she walked into Psych 101 at an ungodly 8 am, iced caramel macchiato in one hand and book bag in the other, to find Flynn lounging halfway down the third row, the relief that washed over her almost had her in tears. She’d sunk into the seat next to Flynn with a sigh. Setting her stuff down and pulling her laptop out, booting it up before turning to Flynn with a tentative smile. 

Flynn was eyeing her in suspicion but hadn’t said anything yet and Carrie decided to just rip off the bandaid. “Look, I was a horrible bitch to you the last few years of high school and I’m so sorry. You didn’t deserve it and I don’t really even have an excuse. I was just wrapped up in my bullshit and by the time I realized how far I’d disappeared into my own problems, I didn’t know how to fix it or apologize so I just didn’t. It wasn’t fair and I’m really sorry.” Carrie said it all in one breath and had to take a second to breathe, glancing at Flynn who looked stunned, mouth hanging open and eyes wide. 

Before Flynn could recover and say anything however, class had started and they launched into covering the syllabus and expectations for the course. 

The two hours flew by with Carrie scribbling notes and marking dates in her calendar. She had not been expecting so much from a freshman introductory course but she supposed it was good to get her expectations sorted from the start. 

The shuffling of papers echoed through the room as class was dismissed. Flynn still hadn’t said anything and Carrie gathered her stuff as quickly as she could, planning to retreat to her dorm, pray her roommate was still in classes and maybe have a good cry. 

She wasn’t successful however, as Flynn caught up to her right outside the door, grabbing her shoulder gently with a “Carrie, wait!”

Carrie turned, taking in Flynn in front of her, breathing a bit hard from running to catch up with her, the strap of her book bag was clenched in her fingers and she hesitated before saying “I’m not sure if I forgive you, not right now. You were kind of a demon. But I want to, so do you want to study together? Professor Tanner didn’t seem to get the message that this was an intro course and four page papers and a hundred pages of reading every week is a bit excessive. We could help each other out?”

Carrie blinked before she felt herself grin shyly, “I would love to, wanna meet at The Grounds at 3:30 Thursday? My treat?”

Flynn nodded, matching Carrie’s smile, “Sounds good.” 

And so they met up to study at least twice a week all through the first semester. It was stilted at first, awkward, as they got to know who they were now. Relearning how to be around each other. It worked though. As time went on they got more and more comfortable, becoming friends again. 

~~~~

Carrie walked across the commons, phone to her ear as she cautiously picked around the patches of ice on the ground. Ranting to Flynn about her econ professor who had assigned a last minute group project just a few weeks before finals.  _ Who did that? Nobody had any free time right now, they were all running on caffeine and anxiety.  _ Finally reaching the door, she pulled it open, cold muscles unlocking as a wave of heat and warm light hit her. 

Spotting Flynn already sitting in the corner, she smiled and waved, ending the phone call as she reached the table. Sliding into her seat, she kept talking and Flynn slid a hot chocolate her way, smiling fondly as Carrie gestured with her hands. Irritation radiating off of her in waves. Carrie broke off, noticing Flynn’s smile. 

Grinning sheepishly she pulled off her gloves and reached for the cup, wrapping her hands around it with a contented sigh. Closing her eyes she brought the cup to her face, taking a deep breath. “You are a lifesaver, thank you so much! Anyways, how did your bio quiz go? You aced it didn’t you.” 

Flynn nodded “Yeah it went great, I should probably pull off at least an A-”

Carrie squealed, reaching across the table to grab Flynn’s hand, squeezing gently. “I told you! You’ve got this! You just gotta trust yourself more.” 

Flynn’s eyes found hers and they locked, staring at each other for a few moments as the sounds of the shop fell away. All she could focus on was Flynn’s warm brown eyes and the soft skin of her hands under Carrie’s. She blinked and the moment passed, chattering voices and the clink of the machinery flooding back in. She drew her hand back, grabbing her hot chocolate again and cleared her throat, blushing slightly. Flynn looked slightly dazed as well as she pulled her hand back, shaking her head slightly and taking a sip of her coffee.

“Thanks Care, Did you at least get a good group for the project? You didn’t get Daniel again did you?” Carrie groaned, dropping her head into her hands, and with that she was off again. 

~~~~

And it went like that, working together to pass the dreaded psych class with an A for Carrie and an A+ for Flynn. They continued studying together, even when their classes didn’t overlap. And as winter melted into spring, their relationship melted into something softer, warmer. Coffee shops became dorm rooms. Strictly study sessions turned into movie nights. Talking about professors and classes became late night conversations, words whispered as they curled up on the couch, faces illuminated by the dim light of the muted tv. 

~~~~

Julie had come to visit over spring break which had been an awkward conversation but they got through it. Ending in hugs and tears. Flynn had, of course, gotten back to her room that first day and called Julie immediately. Telling her all about running into Carrie and her apology. They had been in close contact the whole time and Julie had let go of some of her anger at Carrie. Carrie’s friendship with Flynn went a long way to prove to Julie that Carrie really had changed, become a better person.

It was the actual apology over spring break that had sealed the deal however. Carrie had been more than willing, grateful for the chance to have Julie back in her life again, to apologize. Julie definitely deserved one. 

Similarly to Carrie and Flynn, Julie and Carrie started slowly. The occasional text turned into phone calls and facetime. Julie had gotten into Berklee College of Music in Boston. They were on the same coast but the three and a half hour trip wasn’t the easiest to make that often. 

It was like it used to be and Carrie loved having her two best friends back in her life. Even if Nick had laughed at her for a solid ten minutes on one of their weekly facetime calls when she told him that. Carrie’s annoyance had grown as his laughter continued and she’d huffily told him that if he was just going to laugh at her, he could go talk to someone else, she didn’t even know what his problem was. He’d quieted his laughter, wiping tears from his eyes as the occasional chuckle slipped out. “Don’t be mad Care, I’m sorry. You’re right it must be fun having your  _ friend _ back.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?’ Carrie snapped back. 

“Carrie, if you and Flynn were  _ friends _ like that back when we were still dating, I might have had some questions.”

“What are you talking about?” She sounded genuinely confused and he chuckled again before clearing his throat, face going serious again. 

“Carrie, I love you but if you don’t know already, I’m not going to be the one to tell you.”

“What the hell, Nick!”

“Bye, Care, love you.” Nick talked over her and ended the call before she could cut in. Flopping back on her bed, Carrie frowned. Boys were so fucking weird. 

~~~~

She kept in close contact with both Julie and Flynn over summer break. Facetime wasn’t the same and she missed seeing Flynn every day, the way her face lit up every time she saw Carrie across the commons when she wasn’t expecting too. The way her eyes shone when she threw her head back laughing at whatever dumb joke Carrie had made. It just wasn’t the same.

And so when the roommate request form came in, she texted Flynn right away. 

Care-Bear: Just got the roommate request form. I would rather die than have Rayna as my roommate again. She almost gave me food poisoning so many times last year. Also I’m pretty sure the feelings are mutual but like I don’t want to be mean. What if she said yes to rooming again and I’m the bitch for saying no???

Flynn Ryder: Oh my god Carrie

Flynn Ryder: If hs Carrie could see you now

Care-Bear: I’m trying to be a better person, Flynnie. Don’t bully me. 

Care-Bear: I don’t know what to dooooo

Flynn Ryder: Nerd

Care-Bear: 🥺

Flynn Ryder: Jesus Christ put that away

Flynn Ryder: We can just room together next year

Flynn Ryder: If that’s okay with you

Flynn Ryder: No pressure 

Care-Bear: Really? You’re sure? 

Flynn Ryder: Totally, we spend most of our time in the same room anyways. 

Care-Bear: Oh my god thank you!!

So suffice to say, Carrie couldn’t wait to get back in September. She loved seeing her dad and she knew she would be homesick once she left but a whole school year sharing a dorm with Flynn? She couldn’t wait. 

Nick had laughed himself silly when she told him. She hung up on him. 

~~~~

Move-in day was its own kind of stressful. Boxes and bodies filled the hallways and even with the windows thrown open, they were both sweaty and gross by the time they were done. The room looked great however. 

They’d started planning this summer, wanting it to be coordinating and comfortable but still fitting both of their styles. They’d decided on Carrie’s baby pink and Flynn’s teal. Dorm rooms were ugly, there was no getting around it but they wanted to make it as comfortable as possible. The end result was gorgeous if Carrie did say so herself. 

Carrie’s half of the room was all clean white and pale pinks. Fluffy white comforter with a bunch of small pink and teal pillows and a pale pink fluffy blanket draped over the end of the bed. She’d hung a mirror, decorating the space around it with fabric roses and fairy lights. She had gotten a wall tapestry to go in between the two beds, the pale pink sand and teal waves of the abstract beach tied things together and let them bring a little bit of home with them. 

Flynn had gone the white and teal route. Sticking with only the main two pillows in teal pillow cases. She also kept the white comforter, adding a teal blanket and a pale pink reading pillow for nights that she didn’t feel like studying at her desk. She added a fairy light framed hanging photo collage.  _ Julie, Carrie and Flynn on the first day of highschool, cheeks pressed together and smiling at the camera. Julie and Flynn on halloween, dressed as a devil and angel respectively. Eight year old Flynn braiding Carrie’s hair back as they were both distracted watching High School Musical 3. Carrie, Nick, Julie and Flynn in the Los Feliz cafeteria sophomore year, a few months before everything went wrong. Julie and the Phantoms on stage. Julie and Flynn cheesing it up for the camera in their prom dresses. Julie on the lap of her guitarist, lips pressed to his cheek as he blushed. Carrie at the table during one of their coffee shop study sessions, hands holding her face as she made a face at the camera. Carrie on the couch in the common room, feet in Flynn’s lap as she talked with her hands.  _

The photo wall made something in Carrie’s chest unlock, relaxing. She hadn’t realized how much she needed the visual representation that they were okay. That she had slipped back into Flynn’s life like she had never left. She would never forgive herself for the way she had treated both of them in high school but she was so grateful to be back in their lives, facetiming Julie when they both had a free minute and coming back to the dorm she shared with Flynn after a long day of classes. Curling up with her head on Flynn’s shoulder and just being. 

~~~~

Sophomore year passed quickly in a haze of endless assignments and late nights fueled by caffeine and spite. Fucking Daniel had declared the same major and Carrie had somehow gotten him in almost every class she had. Even though Psych 101 had been the class from hell, aside from giving her Flynn, she had fallen in love with the major. Carrie wanted to be a counselor, to help kids like her, kids who were under a lot of stress with no one to talk to. 

Dr. Crystal had been a huge help to her after she graduated. The second week of term when she’d had her first stress induced breakdown, she’d given up and called her dad. Telling him everything in between sobs. He’d listened patiently and then given her Dr. Crystal’s number.

Dr. Crystal was a kind, patient man and had helped Carrie through a lot. Her weekly sessions with Dr. Crystal and study sessions with Flynn had gotten her through the first few months of school, until she was more adjusted to university and didn’t feel like anything under an A- would send her into a panic. 

So, Carrie wanted to be a counselor. She hadn’t sought one out when she was still in high school but she wanted to be there for overwhelmed kids as much as she could. 

Flynn, however, had decided that Psychology was not for her, thank you very much, and was majoring in business with a minor in advertising. She planned to go into music management and take over for Julie and the Phantoms at some point. 

Julie had majored in songwriting and composition at Berklee and her band was taking off, playing clubs in the area and working on their first album. 

By the time summer break had come back around, Carrrie and Flynn had become  _ CarrieandFlynn _ . Attached at the hip, you never really saw one without the other and they moved around each other like they’d been doing it for years. 

She’d been on another Facetime call with Nick, cooking dinner when Flynn had come in the door. Squeezing Carrie’s shoulder in passing, she dropped her bag on her desk and paused. Without looking, Carrie had reached around her, grabbing the sweatshirt off her bed and handing it to Flynn before going back to stirring the sauce on the stove. Nick had trailed off and was staring at her, a small smirk on his face. 

“What?” Carrie questioned, glancing at him as she reached under the counter for a colander.

“I didn’t say anything.” Nick was doing his annoyingly smug thing again like he knew something she didn’t. 

“Yeah, but your face is all weird.”

“Rude.” 

“Hi Nick.” Flynn interrupted, hooking her chin over Carrie’s shoulder as she examined the sauce Carrie was still stirring. “That looks great Care-Bear. Do we have any garlic for the French bread?”

Carrie turned her head slightly, smiling softly and nodded towards the cabinet door to her left “It’s in there somewhere, I need to organize the cabinets at some point.” 

She turned back to Nick as Flynn went in search of the garlic, the smirk had widened and he looked absolutely delighted. He opened his mouth to say something and Carrie cut him off, pointing the spatula at him with a frown.

“Not a word.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,  _ Care-Bear. _ ”

“Goodnight, Nicholas.” She ended the call with an aggressive stab of the button and went back to stirring. 

Fucking Nick. 

~~~~

This summer vacation was a little bit better. They had plans to meet up a few times. Carrie was flying out to see one of Julie’s concerts a few weeks before school started back up, and was crashing with Flynn for the weekend. It should be embarrassing how excited she was, but she’d gotten used to living with Flynn and she’d missed her. Facetime just didn’t cut it anymore. 

So when Flynn picked her up at the airport she may have taken a flying leap into her arms and knocked them both over. Flynn grumbled about it.  _ Do you even know how gross these floors are Carrie. _ But she hadn’t let go either and the soft smile on her face never flickered. 

Carrie was mostly focused on seeing her best friend again and didn’t particularly care about dirty airport floors. Smacking a kiss on Flynn’s cheek, she stood up, grabbing Flynn’s hands and pulling her up with her, dusting Flynn off once she was standing. 

“Hey.”

“Hey to you too, you weirdo.” Flynn grouched, brushing her palms off on her jeans. 

Carrie just grinned at her, poking her shoulder “Don’t even pretend like you didn’t miss me.”

“Yeah, yeah”

Distracted by the clearing of a throat, Carrie turned, seeing Julie and her boys behind Flynn. The two boys in the back, the blonde and the one in the leather jacket were grinning at her and Flynn. They reminded her of Nick and she narrowed her eyes. She only had room for one judgemental asshole in her life and Nick had claimed that role years ago. Those two were on thin ice. 

With a parting bump of Flynn’s shoulder, Carrie grinned, grabbed her bag off the floor and walked over to Julie. Wrapping her in a hug. Julie squeezed her tight and pulled back, a bright smile taking over her face. 

“Hey Carrie, how was break?” 

“Pretty good, Dad and I went down to Florida to visit Grandma Lucy and the cousins. It was fun but hot as shit, so I’m very glad to be back up North. How was yours? How’s the band?”

She waved to the guys standing behind Julie quickly. She hadn’t actually met them, even though she’d seen a few of their performances. Julie seemed really happy though, judging by the soft smile she couldn’t hide when the guitarist in the sleeveless shirt stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on the top of her head. 

“It’s going really good! This is the last stop on the mini tour so we’re wrapping up just in time for school. The first album is set to come out in November.”

“Oh my god, Julie! That’s amazing, I didn’t know you guys had a release date. Congratulations!”

Julie grinned and the guitarist laughed, kissing her cheek. “I told you babe, We’re gonna be legends.” She turned, kissing him quickly before facing Carrie again. 

“Thanks, Carrie. I’m so excited!” She paused “Oh right, I keep forgetting you guys haven’t officially met. Carrie, this is Luke, Reggie and Alex.” The human blanket was Luke and the boys a little bit behind Julie, Reggie and Alex, raised a hand in greeting when Julie said their names. 

Carrie smiled hesitantly. She and Julie hadn’t exactly been on the best terms when the band had formed and she was sure they’d heard plenty of horror stories, but they seemed sweet. Julie and her mending bridges probably helped with that. 

She grabbed a bag and Alex hurried forward to grab the other, and they headed out to the band van. The concert was later that night and so they had a few hours to explore and catch up before they had to go get ready. 

They were amazing, which wasn’t surprising. Julie had always been incredibly talented and the whole band meshed so well together. Their songs were gorgeous and Julie and Luke practically defined chemistry and stage presence. If you looked it up, Wikipedia would just have a picture of them standing inches apart, microphone between them as they stared into each other’s eyes, trading lyrics. The energy they created kept the crowd hanging on their every word until they were done, disappearing backstage, leaving the crowd roaring in their wake. 

They were pretty busy the rest of the weekend, getting ready for the release of their album and Julie going back to school. So Carrie and Flynn had the weekend to themselves. Which they spent catching up and doing the stereotypical tourist stuff around Boston. By the end of the weekend, Carrie had soaked up enough Flynn time to get her through the last few weeks before the semester started. 

She spent the rest of the summer traveling with her dad and missing Flynn. Nick was entirely unhelpful as usual, the bastard. 

“For fuck’s sake Carrie. If you miss her so bad, call her, not me.” 

She hung up on him again. If she called Flynn every time she missed her, she would never hang up. 

~~~~

Junior year passed much the same way that sophomore year did. Class intensity had picked up and they threw themselves into the workload with a single minded determination that rivaled Carrie in her Dirty Candy days. She was once again rooming with Flynn, thank god. She did not think she would get through the stress of this year without her. Also she would have missed seeing her all the time but whatever.

(Never mind the fact that even in freshman year when they lived in dorms on opposite sides of the campus, they still saw each other every day.)

~~~~

Carrie was going crazy. Glaring at the computer screen, she narrowed her eyes at the email sitting in her inbox and the source of her wrath.  _ Fucking. Daniel. _ Once again, they’d gotten partnered up because her professors apparently hated her. She was going to just snap and murder him one of these days. 

He’d changed her slides. The slides for the presentation they were giving at nine am tomorrow. Well, she amended, glancing at the clock in the corner of the screen, today. In six and a half hours in fact. He’d changed her slides, the slides she’d spent all week painstakingly putting together and handwriting her notecards, while he had done  _ nothing.  _ And the night, nay, hours, before they were due to give their presentation, he had  _ fucked it all up _ . Where had he even gotten his information? Nothing was cited, and none of it lined up with her research. She couldn’t even  _ find _ her research. He had  _ deleted _ it and she was going away for murder. There was no other solution, she would have to kill him. 

Flynn’s groggy voice interrupted her daydreams of homicide. “I can feel you raging from here. What’s wrong?”

Carrie’s voice was quiet, seething as she snarled “ _ Fucking Daniel!” _

The covers rustled and she heard Flynn’s footsteps as they came her way. “Hmm, that’s enough work time for now. Say one last fuck you to Daniel and off to bed you go. You can fix whatever it is in the morning but right now you need to sleep. You can’t run on rage and caffeine forever and you need to be coherent and functioning to hand him his ass effectively.” She reached out, grabbing the back of Carrie’s wheelie chair and pulled her away from the desk as Carrie made grabby hands at her laptop.

“But.” 

Flynn cut her off, way too patient for just having woke up. “No buts, its beddy bye time.”

Carrie pouted, glaring at the laptop one last time before giving up with a final “Fuck you, Daniel.”

“There you go. Alright, into bed with you.”

Instead of pushing her into her own bed like Carrie had expected, Flynn pulled her down with her. Waiting for Carrie to lay down before wrapping herself around her, nose pressing into Carries neck and leg thrown over her hip. Flynn sounded like she was on the edge of sleep already as she muttered a muffled “good night” before letting out a quiet snore. 

Carrie smiled softly, kissing the top of Flynn’s head gently and felt herself slowly relax, the rage dissipating and the exhaustion starting to catch up with her. Her last thought before she drifted off to sleep as well was _ huh, Flynn had been on to something after all.  _

~~~~

It took her another few months after that to realize she was in love with Flynn. It had been nothing out of the ordinary that finally did it. Not a big realization so much as a little  _ oh, there you are.  _

Flynn had been talking, telling Carrie about the exam she had just gotten back with a 100% written across the top. She was grinning ear to ear and bouncing in her excitement. She’d been studying for days and it had paid off. Carrie had been listening to her talk almost inhumanely fast, and it was just there all of a sudden. 

She finally understood what the warm feeling in her chest every time she saw Flynn was. The way her smile made Carrie’s breath catch. The way her arms around Carrie made her feel like nothing could ever be wrong again. The way she missed Flynn when she wasn’t there and was completely content when she was. 

She loved Flynn and had for at least a year.

_ Fuck. _

~~~~

Carrie didn’t exactly know what to do with the realization that she was in love with Flynn, but she wasn’t about to risk fucking up their relationship so she kept it to herself and went on as usual. 

It didn’t change much. She still spent all of her spare time with Flynn. Still missed her when she was gone. She just had a name for the little ball of warmth and love she carried around in her chest. She’d been in love with Flynn for at least a year, probably since a few months into their study sessions. Loving Flynn wasn’t new, she just recognized it now. 

No wonder Nick had laughed at her, the asshole. He could have told her. Not that eighteen year old Carrie would have listened. She would probably have laughed and hung up. Even 20 year old Carrie wouldn’t really have believed him. This was something she had to figure out on her own. She was still annoyed though. 

~~~~

Carrie stared at the blinking cursor on her screen, mind completely empty. She’d been staring at that damn cursor for almost an hour and she had nothing. 

Her final paper for history of psychology was due in three days and she only had two of the ten pages written. She had no clue what to say. The only strong feelings she had in this course were an intense hatred for Freud. Even in a psych history course, she couldn’t yell about Freud for over eight pages. 

Groaning she dropped her head, burying her face in her arms and screaming into her pillow. This paper was killing her and to make matters worse, she hadn’t seen Flynn all day which always made her cranky. Flynn had a study group this morning and had left before Carrie woke up and now it was almost dinner time and she still hadn’t seen her. 

She was mopey and it was very uncool of her. High school Carrie would be embarrassed. Then again, High School Carrie was a bitch and had chased Flynn and Julie away, so her opinion was not to be trusted. 

Just as Carrie was about to fully lose her mind, the door slammed open and Flynn came storming in. Carrie rolled over, propping herself up on her elbows to see what had Flynn in such a mood. Flynn looked like she was ready to commit a murder of her own. She dropped her bag at the foot of Carrie’s bed, kicked her shoes off and crawled in like she owned it. Flopping down, she draped herself over Carrie carefully and closed her eyes. Carrie's hands came up, one running over Flynn’s hair and one wrapping around her shoulders, trailing her fingers up and down Flynn’s back in a soothing motion. 

“What’s the matter?”

“Idiots, I’m surrounded by idiots.”

“Rude”

“Not you dumbass, you’re perfect.”

Carrie’s heartbeat stuttered at the words and she had to take a minute to even her breath out before speaking. What an inconvenient time for her stupid heart to decide to speak up. It was like those fucking seagulls from Finding Nemo, just  _ Flynn! Flynn! Flynn! _ 24/7. She knew she was in love with Flynn, she didn’t need to be reminded every second of the day. She had things to do. 

“Obviously. Which idiots are we talking about this time?”

“The stupid business bros. I got put in a group with Chad, Bryan  _ and _ Ryan. They’re so fucking dumb, I’m going to cry.” She paused, thinking carefully “Or kill them. You would post bail for me, right? If the homicide was justified?”

“Bold of you to assume I wouldn’t have helped with the homicide, but sure. In the hypothetical scenario that you kill three business bro’s and I  _ don’t  _ help you. Yes, I will bail you out of jail.” Carrie’s voice was teasing, sing-song. 

“You mock me. You mock my pain. I’ve been betrayed.” Flynn mock sniffled before dissolving into giggles, finally relaxing into Carrie. 

“Never.” Carrie’s voice was quiet, serious and Flynn looked up. She kissed Carrie’s nose and laid back down, tucking her head into Carrie’s shoulder and closing her eyes. 

“I’m going to sleep off the rage, if that’s cool.”

“Go to sleep, Flynnie.”


	2. I Wanna Feel You Holding on to Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On this weeks episode: Carrie has an epiphany, Nick is very done with her shit, Flynn is very gay and Julie is in her happy domestic bubble with Luke, just living her rockstar dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2, I feel like I should say something but idk. Coming up we have lots and lots of cuddles, useless pining while pretending their not pining, and Carrie panicking about graduation.

The summer between junior and senior year was not a good time for Carrie. Flynn was on vacation with Julie in Mexico, and she was alone. Well she was home with her dad but that didn’t help. 

She called Nick as soon as she got home. They had lunch the next day at a small cafe, tucked away out of the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. 

They spent the first twenty minutes or so catching up. Finals this year had been crazy and they had both been absorbed in studying, missing their last few scheduled calls. By the time the food arrived they were reasonably caught up. 

Picking at her salad with her fork, she sighed and slumped back in her chair. 

“I’m in love with Flynn.”

Nick just raised an eyebrow looking unimpressed. “And?”

“Can you not be a dick and just pretend like you didn’t know?”

“Oh my god! You’re in love with Flynn? I never would have seen this coming!” He pressed a hand to his cheek in mock shock, eyes wide and mouth in a perfect ‘o’.

“Shut the fuck up.”

He laughed, losing the expression and relaxed back into his seat. Reaching for his glass, he took a sip, before putting it down and playing with the straw. “So, what are you going to do about it?”

Carrie scoffed, kicking her foot out and then tucking it around the leg of her chair. Turning her head to watch the people pass by on the street. “Nothing.”

Nick choked on his next sip of water, coughing a few times. “I’m sorry, what?”

She slid down further in her seat, reaching a level of bad posture that would have Nana Lucy smacking her knuckles and telling her to sit up straight, for heaven's sake. 

“I’m not about to fuck up our relationship by telling Flynn I was dumb enough to fall in love with her. Things are fine. There’s no reason to mess with it.”

Nick eyed her in disbelief before dropping his head into his hands. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me. Just when I thought you had this in hand, you go and say that shit.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Carrie was offended. She had a good grasp on her emotions for once and it wasn’t like being in love with Flynn needed to change anything. She was happy. She wasn’t pining. She just, you know, missed Flynn when she wasn’t there. She thought she was reasonably well adjusted considering, thank you very much, Nicholas. 

Nick rubbed a hand down his face before dropping his hands to the table and looking at her. “Oh my god, Carrie! Has it occurred to you that Flynn might  _ also _ be in love with you?” 

She snorted, “No. Of course Flynn’s not in love with me. I think I would notice if my best friend was in love with me.”

Nick just blinked at her. Head returning to his hands as he shook it back and forth slowly. Muttering something that sounded like  _ I give up  _ and then  _ useless lesbians _ . 

Carrie decided to just give Nick and his breakdown a few minutes and tucked into her salad. He was being unreasonable after all. Thinking Flynn was in love with her, psh, and Carrie had a castle. Actually? She paused, thinking back. She was pretty sure dad had bought an old castle at some point when she was little, when she was on a princess kick. She’d very seriously informed him that she was a princess and she needed a castle because she couldn’t marry Flynn without a castle to give her-  _ oh shit! _ Baby Carrie had been in love with Flynn and she  _ never noticed?! _ What the actual fuck? 

Joining Nick in resting her head in her hands, she stared at the tablecloth in disbelief. Had she been friends with Flynn, fallen in love with Flynn, pushed Flynn away and been a total bitch, become friends with Flynn again and then fallen in love with her  _ again _ , all without realizing it? She needed a drink. 

~~~~

So lunch with Nick had been useless, he was completely unhelpful. Not that she was surprised. All he usually did was laugh at her and drop little comments he never felt like explaining. The asshole. 

But on the bright side, Carrie now remembered her castle. Well, technically it was her dad’s castle, but she was pretty sure he had put it in her name for when she was all grown up. He had been amused at her reasoning, if she remembered correctly, but he hadn’t argued. Nine year old Carrie wanted a castle and he had more than enough money to get her one, so he did. Granted, it was a small castle that badly needed to be repaired, but it was still a castle. 

Maybe next summer after graduation she could talk Flynn into going with her. They could see what shape it was in and if it was something they could handle, it would be a fun project. Something physical that Carrie could fix. 

Not that she would  _ tell _ Flynn that nine year old Carrie had demanded a castle for her future wife Flynn. That was need to know information -and for the sake of her sanity- need to know was Carrie and her dad only. 

~~~~

Being back to school was a fucking god send. If she had to go one more week without seeing Flynn in person she was going to lose her shit. That sounded more dramatic than it was, she just missed her a lot is all. 

Walking into their dorm room and seeing Flynn curled up in her bed, Carrie dropped her bags and toed her shoes off. Climbing into bed and curling herself around Flynn’s back, she felt all of the tension drain right out of her. 

She knew she missed Flynn, everyone knew she missed Flynn. Nick had gone back to making fun of her on their weekly calls. Even her dad had started to look like he regretted asking her how she was doing when the first thing she said was “I miss Flynn.” 

“ _ No shit.” he muttered under his breath and she frowned at him _

_ “You don’t have to be so mean about it.” Carrie pouted and he sighed leaning over to kiss her forehead.  _

_ “Aside from missing Flynn as usual, how was your day?” _

So yeah, missing Flynn was old news. She just hadn’t realized how tense she was, until having Flynn wrapped in her arms again let every muscle unwind. 

Sighing, Carrie buried her nose in Flynn’s hair, wiggling closer and closing her eyes. Matching her breathing to Flynn’s slow in and out, it wasn’t long before she drifted off to sleep as well. 

~~~~

Carrie blinked her eyes open a few hours later to see Flynn’s eyes on hers from a few inches away. She smiled sleepily, burrowing a bit deeper into the blankets.

“Hi.” Her voice was still rough from sleep but the happiness was easy to hear. 

“Hi.” Flynn returned quietly. “We’re cuddling.”

“We do that. Also, this is my bed. Also, I missed you.”

Flynn smiled softly, pushing a curl behind Carrie’s ear from where it had fallen across her cheek. “I missed you too. Have a good break?”

“Yeah, glad to be back though. You?”

“Same.”

They pulled away, putting distance between them and Carrie’s eyes fell closed as she yawned, stretching out and pushing the lingering sleep from her limbs. 

Opening her eyes again, she found that Flynn was distracted, looking down at her, a hint of red in her cheeks. Following her gaze, Carrie saw that the strap of her tank top had slipped, leaving her shoulder bare. The light from the setting sun streaming in the window had fallen on her. Highlighting the tan she’d gotten from spending most of the summer outside, soaking up the sun on the beach. There weren’t a lot of places to enjoy the sun in New York, even on the warm spring days before school let out from the summer, and she missed it. Flushing, Carrie fixed the strap and Flynn’s eyes shot to hers before looking away again. She cleared her throat and hopped up.

“We need to go grocery shopping at some point to stock up, the cabinet and fridge are completely empty. We could go tomorrow or if one of us wants to take care of it tonight?”

Sitting up, Carrie’s hair fell over her shoulder and she pushed it back, annoyed with it getting in her way. She really needed to get it cut. She’d meant to do it over spring break and she hadn’t gotten around to it. It now fell past her waist, way longer than she had had it in years and it was constantly in her way. 

She yawned again. The nap not enough to have her feeling completely rested. She hadn’t been able to sleep on the flight over and it put her behind. “Lets just go tomorrow so we can both make sure we have what we need.” She flopped back down, making grabby hands at Flynn, who shook her head. 

“I gotta go check in with the RA and make an appointment with my advisor. I want no surprises sneaking up on me this year, I am graduating in June, damn it.”

Carrie pouted but grabbed a pillow instead, flopping down and wrapping herself around it. “Okay, have fun. I’m gonna go back to sleep. I couldn’t nap on the way here this time.”

“Night Care-Bear.” Flynn’s quiet voice drifted to her ears as exhaustion started to pull her back down. The last thing she heard before sinking into sleep was the soft snick of the door closing and Flynn’s soft “Sleep well.” lingering in the air. 

~~~~

The semester continued and they inched closer and closer to graduation. Carrie was both looking forward to and dreading the day. She wasn’t in love with college and was  _ very _ ready to get her degree and be done with it. She  _ was _ in love with Flynn, however, and being roommates gave Carrie the excuse to see her every day. She didn’t know how it would go not seeing Flynn constantly. Going by summer vacations, and Nick being a smug little Judgy McJudgypants, not well. She was not looking forward to it. 

But time moved on, no matter what she wanted. And things were good. There was an odd tension in the air now, more often than not. Flynn would look distracted all of a sudden, like she’d completely checked out and then she would snap back to it and make up an excuse to leave. Carrie would be more worried but it was only an occasional occurrence and Flynn was completely normal most of the time. 

The most recent time had been when Carrie had gotten home from class early, striping out of her jeans and cardigan and changing into a pair of sleep shorts and Flynn’s Los Feliz High cropped hoodie. Her hair had been in a mess of curls around her shoulders as she still hadn’t gotten it cut yet. 

She’d been in the middle of trying to wrestle it all into a bun on top of her head when Flynn had walked in and frozen in the doorway. Staring for a few moments, eyes glazed over and mouth slightly open before she snapped out of it. Muttering something about forgetting groceries, she was out the door again before Carrie could say anything. Carrie finished with her hair and lowered her arms, sweatshirt once more covering her belly button, and frowned. What the fuck?

Carrie was usually the forgetful one, not Flynn. And why had she been so weird about it? Maybe she was just stressed. They were approaching midterms and Flynn had threatened homicide against her business classmates more than once. Business usually drew a certain kind of person, and that was insufferable assholes. Flynn could be a little bit of an asshole, but she was Carrie’s asshole, and nowhere near the level of douchebaggery that oozed out of the business bros, as Flynn had dubbed them in sophomore year. She probably just had another run in with Brian or Ryan, and it had put her in a weird mood. 

Problem solved, Carrie settled in her desk chair and started working on homework for the day. Fun thing about college, the work was never really done. There was always some assignment that she could be working on. When she poured herself into bed at the end of the day, she was never truly  _ done _ , she was just done for the day. So yeah, she was mostly ready for graduation to get here already. She could figure out the Flynn dilemma later.

~~~~

Winter break passed in a haze of sleep and Christmas lights. Finals had taken a lot out of Carrie and both her and Flynn had decided to stay on campus over break. Carrie’s dad was flying up for Christmas and they were planning on doing all that stupid touristy stuff. She was so excited. 

Flynn had begged off going home for Christmas with the promise that she would come home over spring break. 

They spent most of the break, prior to her dad’s arrival, curled up together and sleeping. They’d discovered that they slept better together, legs tangled and Flynn’s head tucked into Carrie’s neck. The soft thud of the others heartbeat helped quiet their minds and let them switch their brains off long enough to sleep. It wasn’t all the time though, their schedules didn’t allow it and they still appreciated space and their own beds. But when they had the opportunity, they took it. 

It was during one of those naps that the ring of a facetime call woke Carrie up. She grumbled, poking her head up and peering at the screen. Nick’s face stared back at her and she groaned. Grabbing the phone, she rolled over so she was able to hold the phone without dropping it. Flynn grumbled and shifted with her, still asleep. Coming to a stop with her nose buried in Carrie’s neck and an arm around her waist. 

Carrie swiped her thumb across the screen and glared at it as Nick popped into view. She scowled at him, cranky from being woken up after such a short nap. “What, Nicholas?” she snapped. 

He just raised an eyebrow, unimpressed with her attitude. “Hello to you too, Carrie.”

She groaned, throwing an arm over her eyes “Leave me alone. We were asleep. I just woke up.”

“We?” Just then he seemed to notice Flynn’s head pressed into the curve of Carrie’s neck and the way their hair mixed together on the pillows. His eyebrows shot up and he gave her a questioning look. 

“Fuck off, we’re just taking a nap. It’s not a big deal.”

“Do you usually take naps wrapped around each other?”

She just glared at him and his eyes went wide “Holy shit, seriously?”

“Yes, Nicholas. Seriously. Now did you call and so rudely wake me up, to discuss my nap habits, or did you need something?” 

“Damn girl, you’d think naps with Flynn would make you nicer, not more of a grouch.”

She narrowed her eyes, “I was only actually asleep for like 45 minutes when you called.”

He winced, looking apologetic, “Sorry about that. I was just calling to check in and see if you had planned on coming home for Christmas or if you were staying in New York this year?”

“We’re staying here. Last semester was exhausting and we didn’t want to deal with the trip home. Dad’s coming up in a few days, so he’ll be here for Christmas and Flynn promised to go home and visit her family in a few months. We’re mostly just catching up on sleep and relaxing before the hell semester starts.”

“Understandable, I’ll just mail your present and we can do it long distance this year.”

“That sounds good, I’ll run by the post office to drop yours off tomorrow and it should get to you in time. Sorry for being so cranky with you.”

“Nah, I’m used to it.” His voice softened at her look and he continued. “I’m just kidding. You’re doing great. I’m glad you're happy, Care, you deserve it.” 

Carrie couldn’t stop the soft smile that appeared at the words. Her and Nick hadn’t worked out. The whole Carrie being a lesbian thing had only been part of it. But she still loved him in her own way and even though he drove her crazy half the time, she was happy to still have him in her life. Lucky that he’d stuck around while she figured out how to be herself again. That he hadn’t pushed her away, which she honestly wouldn’t have blamed him for. 

When she spoke again, the words were quiet and fond, without a single hint of irritation. “Thank you Nick and thank you for calling. I’ll talk to you next week?”

At his nod, she smiled and ended the call. Dropping her phone on the table she settled back down, readjusting the pillow under her head. Resting her head against Flynn’s, she soon fell back asleep and stayed that way for the next few hours. 

~~~~

Flynn kept her promise and did go home over spring break. Carrie only moped for a day or so before she called Julie to see if she wanted to hang out that week. The three and a half hour drive wasn’t as big of a deal when they didn’t have school to worry about. 

Julie and the Phantoms first album had taken off and they had stayed at the top of the charts for weeks. They were all booked for a tour this summer, celebrating the release of their second album  _ Finally Free _ . 

Julie and Luke were still together and Carrie would be shocked if they weren’t engaged this time next year. She didn’t think she had ever seen Julie this happy. She glowed and had this aura of confidence around her now. She had come into herself, growing into the musician she was always meant to be. 

Julie and Luke had gotten an off campus apartment for Julie’s senior year and she was loving it. The apartment was beautiful. A small studio with plenty of light and plants everywhere. It reminded Carrie of the Molina’s studio. It made sense that Julie’s favorite place had been recreated in her home with Luke, a man who shared her passion for music and life. 

Though they still kept up regular contact through text and facetime, Carrie hadn’t actually seen Julie since the summer between sophomore and junior year and it was long overdue. They spent most of the break exploring Boston and catching up.

Even though they’d been friends again for a while, Carrie was still so happy to be able to turn her head and see Julie grinning at her, instead of the frown that she always seemed to wear around Carrie in the last two years of high school. She had absolutely earned that frown but it still sucked. 

Now Julie was all bubbly confidence and bright joy. Dragging Carrie from place to place around Boston. From feeding the seals at the New England Aquarium to Fenway park. They’d gone out to the Boston Common on the last day of break, going for a ride on the swan boats. It was a whirlwind of exploring and the week flew by. Before she knew it, she was back in her dorm room and welcoming Flynn home. 

~~~~

They were headed into the homestretch of their senior year and Carrie was once again running on caffeine and determination. She hadn’t had a full nights sleep in almost a month and Flynn was in the same boat. 

She had a pounding headache and her eyes could barely focus on the little numbers at the bottom of her screen that read 3:21 am. When was the last time she’d slept anyways? According to the numbers below that it was a Wednesday. She might have taken a four hour nap Monday afternoon, after lunch? Did she even eat lunch on Monday? Oh god, that wasn’t good. She was pretty sure she was supposed to sleep more than that. Something about psychosis and sleep deprivation. Fuck, she was tired, she didn’t remember. 

Flynn’s groan from across the room pulled her sluggish brain from her thoughts. “It is a fucking  _ crime _ that I am running on 8 hours of sleep in the last 3 days combined and not living my best life. I should be running through an abandoned castle in a ballgown in slow motion. I want the poofy dress and tiara, I want the castle, I want the ex-enemy turned lover chasing me while I laugh and run faster. Is that too much to ask? Fuck! But instead I’m here, with an empty coffee pot, barely functioning on no sleep, and I’m still not done. This isn’t fair. I want a refund. Who the fuck decided I should get a degree. 

Carrie wholeheartedly agreed but all her brain could focus on was the image of Flynn in a ballgown. Running down crumbling stone hallways, skirts billowing behind her and braids flying out as she turned to look at Carrie behind her. Eyes sparkling in mischief, she tossed Carrie a grin, daring Carrie to catch her. In Carrie’s mind, the light from the setting sun streamed in through the windows, making Flynn’s skin glow. The sunlight would hit the jewels in her tiara just right, sending rainbows of light around the hallway. 

The image was so absolutely breathtaking that she decided then and there that she would make it happen. Well, she kind of had a brief moment of gay panic and  _ then _ she decided she would make it happen. What came out of her mouth however was “Mood.”

Flynn laughed and then groaned when her muscles, stiff from hours of sitting in a desk chair without changing position, protested the sudden movement. 

“Okay that’s enough studying. I don’t think my brain is actually capable of retaining any more information. To bed we go.” Reaching over, Flynn grabbed Carrie’s hands, tugging her to her feet and toppling her into the nearest bed, which happened to be Flynn’s. Before turning off the lights and crawling in next to her. Once again, her arm wrapped around Carrie’s waist and she tucked her head under Carrie’s chin, sighing in satisfaction. “Oh thank god, I’m so tired I can hear colors.” 

They were both out in less than five minutes. 

~~~~

She was done. 

She had just walked out of the last exam of her undergraduate career and she was finally done. A wave of exhaustion suddenly crashed over her and she swayed on her feet. Finding a bench in the courtyard, she sank down and leaned her head back. 

Above her, the sun shone in a clear blue sky. She could hear the distant sounds of birds chirping and students chattering as they moved around. It was a stereotypically beautiful day and she wanted to cry. 

She had been going all out for the last three weeks, barely sleeping and not thinking about anything other than her exams. Pushing to hit that finish line and get everything done, now she was there. She had crossed that line, the narrow walls that had kept her so focused were behind her and she was looking out at a big, open world. The world was waiting for her and she was terrified. 

Yes, she knew she wanted to be a counselor and would need to continue on with schooling to get her masters but she was done with Columbia and things were changing so fast. 

She was still having her Flynn crisis. She’d put off freaking out about it as long as she could. But they were graduating. She knew Julie and her band were planning to move back to LA this summer to focus on their music. Flynn was also going back to LA, she’d had an offer from Destiny Management and she was so excited. 

Carrie wanted to cry. She was so happy for Flynn and incredibly proud of her, but she didn’t know where they stood. She’d looked at schools closer to home for her masters degree but she didn’t know. What if Flynn thought it was weird? She’d gone to Columbia for undergrad. Why wouldn’t she stay and get her masters there as well? Then again, they’d grown up in the same city, it wouldn’t be that weird for Carrie to apply to a program closer to home. 

Before she could work herself up into too much of a panic, she was interrupted by Flynn dropping down next to her and pushing an iced caramel macchiato into her hands. 

“Figured we should finish the way we started. Even if you do have terrible taste in coffee.” Flynn knocked their cups together before taking a sip of her iced vanilla latte, 

“Okay, so I know we’re taking a few months for vacations and stuff. We deserve a break and your dad misses you like crazy. So y’all can do some family trips or whatever. You’re applying to the program at UCLA for fall semester, right?”

Carrie hadn’t realized that Flynn knew she’d narrowed her list down. She seemed like she expected Carrie to move back to California, so maybe that was okay. She nodded, “Yeah, UCLA is probably my top choice but I’m also applying to Stanford.”

Flynn made a face, taking another sip of her drink “Stanford’s so far away though. How are we supposed to get an apartment if your school is five hours away from LA. You’re not allowed to ditch me Care-Bear, it’s not fair.”

Carrie whipped her head around to face Flynn, jaw dropping. “You want to live together?”

Flynn stared at her like she’d grown a second head. “Duh, we’re both moving to the same city and we’ve already lived together for three years. Why wouldn’t we get an apartment together? You know what rent in LA is like.” She chewed on her straw, stalling before she finally mumbled, “Also, I would miss you like crazy and I’m not prepared for that. So unless something last minute comes up, we could just keep doing what we’re doing now? If you want?” She looked a little hesitant now, like she hadn’t expected Carrie to question the idea. 

Carrie on the other hand, was trying not to drown under the relief that washed over her as soon as Flynn had brought it up. “Thank God, yes I would love to share an apartment. I was lowkey freaking out about you moving away. I would miss you.”

Flynn laughed, wrapping an arm around her and leaning her head on Carrie’s shoulder. “Glad we got that all worked out and we don’t need to panic. So what do you think about location? Westwood?” 


	3. Can We Always Be This Close?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carrie and Flynn apartment hunt, Nick advocates for communication, Carrie and Flynn go shopping and... meet a witch?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back to this weeks episode of lesbians who need to communicate. This time they’re graduated and in the real world. They’ve learned a lot but still won’t actually talk about that thing they’re ignoring, but Carrie’s making plans. 
> 
> Comments and kudos are very much appreciated. let me know what you liked, if any line stood out to you, any questions, etc. I love hearing from you. thanks so much and I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

The first month or so back in LA, they shopped for apartments. Scheduling tours and looking at neighborhoods and transit time. 

Luckily Destiny Management's offices were only twenty minutes from the UCLA campus which gave them a little bit of leeway when it came to location. They’d finally narrowed in on Westwood over Sawtelle or Culver City. Flynn had made the final call and Carrie was okay with whatever. Apartment hunting was actually kind of fun, even if it was stressful at times. They were able to live at home for a bit until they found the perfect place

The lack of a time crunch made it a lot less stressful than it could have been and let them search for something that would fit everything they were looking for. They’d lived together so long at this point that they knew what the other needed and hated in a living space. 

Carrie had vetoed the second apartment less than two minutes after walking in because the light switches were in the wrong spot and Flynn hated having a light switch on the left where it was blocked by the open door. 

Flynn had taken one look at the fancy kitchen in apartment number five with an oddly shaped bar top and walked out. Carrie was a menace in the morning who forgot how her limbs worked. She would walk right into it every morning and then complain about the constant bruising on her hip. 

They both used too many products for the tiny counter space in the bathroom of the seventh apartment they looked at. 

Apartment nine’s bedrooms were tiny and would only fit twins, maybe a double if they could squeeze it in. They had been fine sharing a twin in their dorm when they felt like cuddling, but they were adults and refused to do it anymore. They were getting queens and the bedroom would need to fit a queen. Big enough for cuddles, and extra space when they slept alone.

Nick had lost his shit when she told him about that one. Laughing until he couldn’t breathe and then asking her if she seriously thought that was a normal platonic reaction to a small bedroom. 

“For fuck’s sake, Carrie. You really turned down an apartment because the bedroom was too small for a bed that would let you cuddle with your roommate?”

“Fuck off Nicholas, we’re well adjusted adults who like cuddles and recognize that it makes sleeping easier sometimes.” Carrie was getting real sick of Nick’s shit, she didn’t know why she still called him. 

“Mmm hmm. And Flynn’s okay with rejecting an apartment because you can’t cuddle in it?”

“It was her idea!” 

“And that doesn’t tell you something?” 

“It tells me she’s got good priorities and she likes cuddles. Besides, she rejected the last apartment because all the kitchen counters had really big cabinets over them and it wouldn’t give her enough space to sit while I cooked.”

Nick paused, doing that annoying thing where he just stared at her like she’d just told him she thought a boa constrictor would give good hugs. “She can’t just sit at the table like a normal person? You guys do realize you don’t have to be within arms reach of each other at all times, right?”

“Wow, really? Of course I know that Nick. I almost stayed at Columbia for grad school.”

“Wait, seriously? You get mopey if you haven’t seen her in twenty four hours and you were planning to let her move across the country without you?” Nick had sobered, face serious as he focused on her. 

“I don’t  _ let  _ her do anything, she can do whatever she wants, but yeah. I was freaking out about it. Trying to decide if I should just say fuck it and follow her back to LA, or stay at Columbia and be miserable until I got over myself. But she just started talking about getting an apartment near UCLA and was surprised when I asked her if she was sure. So we’re getting an apartment and we’re good, and I got into UCLA and it’s fine. I’m happy.” 

“I’m glad you’re happy Care, but are you guys really going to just keep doing this? You’re in love with her but refuse to tell her. How long are you going to live together? What are you going to do if she meets someone? You should talk to her, tell her how you feel.” He spoke carefully, voice gentle like he was trying not to spook her. 

“We're only twenty one. We don’t have to have it all figured out by now. Besides I told you, I’m not going to ruin everything just because I’m in love with her. Flynn’s one of, if not  _ the _ , most important person in my life. You said it yourself, I get mopey if I don’t see her all day. Why in the fuck would I risk losing her on the slim chance that she might also be in love with me? What if she isn’t and I ruin everything? What if she is and it doesn’t work out and everything is ruined anyways, but this time I know what it’s like to have her love me. I can’t lose her Nick, she’s too important. And we’re okay. I’ve loved Flynn for years and I know how to deal with it. I’m  _ happy _ .” 

He sighed, “Carrie-“

She cut him off, voice quiet, fragile. “Nick, please drop it. I can’t do this right now.”

He did, and she could have kissed him for it, if she wasn’t you know, completely uninterested in men and very interested in one Flynn Harper. 

Now she remembered why she still called him. He was Nick and she was Carrie, and they just got each other. Maybe it was weird to be so close with her ex-boyfriend, but they’d been friends first and she loved him. Even if he was a little shit half the time. 

~~~~

It took another two weeks, but they’d found the perfect apartment. It was near campus and only a 12 minute drive to Destiny Management (Without traffic of course, LA traffic was its own entity.) It had plenty of natural light, light switches in normal places, no weird corners, lots of counter space, and plenty of room for a queen bed in each bedroom. 

It felt like home the second they opened the front door and it only took a few minutes and a quick walk through for them to know they’d found the right place. They’d still done a thorough inspection and asked plenty of questions, of course. They weren’t stupid. There were a few minor things they needed to fix, but it really was perfect. 

~~~~

They spent the next two weeks getting ready. Making lists of everything they needed and going shopping for furniture and the stupid little stuff, like towels. 

Which was how they found themselves at a mattress store on a Wednesday morning. They stood in front of a mattress with memory foam and an adjustable base, debating the merits of an adjustable bed and if they would even use it. They could always get the regular bed and just get a ton of pillows instead. It would do the same thing and then Carrie wouldn’t have nightmares of it malfunctioning and breaking her if it somehow snaps in half in the middle of the night. 

“I would say that’s the craziest thing you’ve ever said, but it’s really not. And now that I think about it, it’s a valid worry. Unlikely, but valid.”

“Thanks Flynnie.”

“Course. Now what about this one over here? It’s got fun gel shit.”

“Ah yes, picking a mattress based on it having ‘fun gel shit’. What does it even do?”

“Did you ladies need any help today?” The salesman, “Dave” according to his name tag, appeared out of nowhere, just popping up at Carrie’s elbow and scaring the shit out of her.

“Jesus!” She jumped, bumping into Flynn who grabbed her arms to steady her before laughing and turning to Dave.

“Hi, we’re just trying to decide. We know we want a queen and we’ll need two.” Flynn took over while Carrie tried to get her heart rate to slow back down again. She swore he’d come out of nowhere. 

“Absolutely! What’s your budget today?”

“Um,” Flynn glanced at Carrie, who nodded and Flynn looked back at Dave. “We don’t really have one. We don’t want something crazy expensive. It just has to be comfortable. Kind of a medium soft cushion?”

“Wonderful, I can recommend The Duchess 340 over here. It’s quite soft but still has some firmness to it. You’ll notice it also has cooling technology in it’s construction, to keep you cool on warm nights without getting too cold during the winter. You’re more than welcome to test it out.”

Carrie only paused for a second to eye the mattress and tried not to think about how many people had laid on it. Hopping up she settled on her back and held her arms out to Flynn. “C’mere.” 

Flynn rolled her eyes before crawling up and flopping down, tucking her head under Carrie’s chin. They laid there for a few minutes, trying to ignore Dave and evaluate the mattress. 

Flynn broke the silence first. “It’s nice but a bit too soft. I sink too much and it’ll fuck my ribs up if I have my head where it is now. How’s your back?”

“Not too bad, but if it’s going to make your ribs sore, let’s keep looking.” They sat up and looked at Dave who looked like he wasn’t quite sure what was going on. “Do you have something a bit firmer, but not too much?”

He paused for a moment before nodding and leading them to the end of the row. “The Goddess 500 also has cooling technology. It isn’t memory foam which might help with the sinking problem but it should be soft enough still.”

Once again, they climbed up and settled down. This one worked much better than the previous mattress but they waited a bit to make sure it stayed that way. Carrie was starting to remember she hadn’t gotten enough sleep the night before. Even with Dave being a weirdo over their shoulders, she was horizontal for longer than twenty seconds and ready for a nap. 

Flynn shifted a bit, leaning up to whisper in her ear. “I like the mattress but we can’t have a mattress named The Goddess 500, that’s so fucking weird. Why do they have names?”

Carrie giggled and gently smacked Flynn’s arm where it lay over her waist. “We don’t have to use the name ever again after we leave. We’ll just erase the knowledge from our brains.”

“How long have you two been together?” Dave’s voice reminded her they weren’t actually at home ready for a nap, and that there were actual people around. Then she registered his question, sitting up. 

“Oh we’re not together, we’re just roommates.”

“‘Just roommates’ she says, like we haven’t known each other our whole lives and been best friends for the last four years. Just roommates, psh.” Flynn was joking but there was something a bit off in her tone, like she was covering for something and Carrie turned to see her face. 

Yeah, there was definitely something off. Carrie just didn’t know what it was. Frowning, she nudged Flynn’s shoulder. Searching her eyes when she turned to look at her. Flynn smiled and nodded, kissing the top of her head before facing Dave again. 

Dave looked… confused. Confused would probably be the best word, if a tad bit understated. “Why… Why are you both trying out the mattress then?” Seeming to realize that was an odd question, he backpedaled quickly. “Not that it’s any of my business. I’m so sorry.”

Flynn shrugged, “Nah, you’re fine. We just like our cuddle time.”

“So you’re buying a mattress that you both like… for cuddle time? Never mind, moving on. How are we feeling about this one?”

“It’s great, honestly anything is better than those god awful dorm room mattresses. Even without that though, it’s good. What do you think Flynnie? Wanna go with this one?”

Flynn nodded, “Yeah, this totally works. Let’s get two queens in this style. Do you guys do delivery?”

“Absolutetly! It’s an extra small fee but we do offer it.”

“Great, let’s do that then.” 

Climbing off the bed, they headed to the front with Dave and got everything squared away. The mattresses and frames were getting delivered that weekend. 

Letting the door close behind them, they walked down the sidewalk, planning out the rest of the day and checking things off of their list. Out of the corner of her eye, Carrie saw a small shop, the sign,  _ Moonshine Boutique _ , catching her attention before her eyes were drawn to an absolutely stunning ball gown in the window. 

She’d barely remembered Flynn’s comment about princess dresses and castles. The sleep exhaustion at the time had given the memory a hazy quality, but spotting the dress in the window brought it all back. 

Catching Flynn’s attention she pointed at the store, “Let’s go check it out.”

Flynn groaned, “Carrie come on, we have so many stops left today.” 

“But Flynn, look at it. It’s gorgeous. I wanna see what else they have.” She grabbed Flynn’s hand, tugging her gently. 

“Okay, you’re right. It’s really pretty. But only a few minutes. We have a lot to do.”

~~~~

They were there for  _ way _ more than a few minutes. The shop had a magical, homey feel to it. Lit almost entirely from lamps, a soft glow cloaked the boutique. 

Everywhere they looked were beautiful, delicate princess dresses. Pink chiffon, emerald green satin, purple lace. There was a little bit of everything and every single dress was gorgeous. 

Summoned by the jingle of the bell over the door at their entrance, a tiny old woman emerged from the back room. She was short and stooped over slightly. Long white hair was held up with an intricate hair clip and her eyes sparkled with joy and a hint of magic. She smiled, taking in Carrie’s hand still wrapped around Flynn’s. “Welcome, welcome. Do let me know if you girls need any help. We have a fitting room in the back if anything speaks to you.” 

Flynn nodded, thanking her and dragged Carrie to the nearest display. She reached out to touch the satin of the skirt but pulled her hand back at the last moment, turning to Carrie with a whisper, “I feel like I shouldn’t touch it.” 

“I get what you mean. They’re almost too pretty to wear.”

“Where would you even wear them?” Flynn’s voice had a hint of awe as she spoke. Once again, Carrie remembered her daydream of Flynn, and castles, and sunlight, and her smile. 

They wandered around, admiring every dress before Flynn stopped in front of a delicate rose pink dress. “Wow.” 

Carrie had to agree, the dress was gorgeous but it was the look on Flynn’s face that sealed the deal for her. Peering around Flynn, she looked towards the woman. “Can she try on this pink one?”

The woman nodded with a smile, moving towards them and taking the dress off the stand, ushering them back to the dressing room. 

“If I’m trying on a dress, you have to try one too, Carrie. Fair’s fair.”

Carrie rolled her eyes. “Oh, is that how it works?” Every dress she had seen was stunning but she hadn’t seen one that really spoke to her, as the woman had said, not like Flynn. Of course, just as they were reaching the dressing room and the little sitting area, she spotted a blue dress off to her right. It was off to the side almost out of the way but it was absolutely perfect and Carrie wanted it as soon as she saw it. 

Getting Flynn set up in the dressing room, the woman, Margaret, as she told them, saw Carrie's distraction. Following her gaze she hummed, smiling knowingly. 

“There is a second dressing room if you want to try it while your friend is putting hers on. You’ll need help with the lacing but I can help you with that.”

Carrie looked at it again and nodded, she wanted it. Margaret reached behind her for a step stool and went to bring it down. Carrying it towards the dressing room she hung it on the rack and stepped back, holding the door for Carrie. 

“Okay honey, you’re all good. You might be able to get it on your own if you would prefer, but give a holler if you need a hand before the laces. It’s a bit heavy. 

Carie nodded, thanking Margaret, and locked the door behind her. Looking at the dress up close, it was even prettier. Should she even touch it? She shouldn’t be allowed to wear something like that. She was just lying on store mattresses. 

Rolling her neck, she shook out the sudden nerves and reached for the hanger, slipping the dress off. Margaret was right, it was heavy. She started with the petticoat, before stepping into the dress and pulling it up. She slid her arms into the off the shoulder sleeves and then poked her head out, calling for Margaret to help lace up the back. 

It only took a few minutes to do up the laces and she was ready. Looking in the mirror she was shocked at how well it fit, both in the sizing and the fact that it felt like she was made to wear this dress. It was a gorgeous light blue, almost a lilac. The bodice had a sweetheart neckline with delicate lace embroidery in curling patterns mimicking a heart as it started at the neckline and curled down towards the waist. The off the shoulder straps were entirely made of the lace. The skirt was made of layer upon layer of chiffon that fell in a gentle curve from the waist and trailed on the ground behind her. Lace flowers fell from the waist and spotted the skirt here and there, gathering more towards the floor. The back laced up a corset that cinched her waist and made her feel tiny, delicate. She really did feel like a princess. Soft and romantic, the dress was gorgeous and Carrie never wanted to take it off. 

Just then Flynn called through the door, “Carrie, are you almost ready? I want to see.”

“Just a second.” Taking one last look, she gathered her skirts and opened the door. Looking at the floor she picked her way cautiously out of the dressing room, careful not to trip. Once she was out in the sitting area, she dropped her skirts and looked up. Breath catching in her throat as she saw Flynn standing in front of her. 

If she wasn’t already in love with Flynn, she would be now. Flynn looked gorgeous. The dress, a dusty rose with a strapless corset. The neckline was split, a slit plunging to Flynn’s belly button, dark skin gleaming in the soft glow of the lamp light. The corset was covered in a lace overlay of butterflies and intertwining vines, extending down into the skirt a ways. The off the shoulder straps were constructed entirely of the lace butterflies. Like Carrie, Flynns skirt was made of layers and flared around her, trailing on the floor behind her. Pink flowers started at the base of her skirt and trailed upwards, the lace butterflies from the corset mixed in around the flowers. The dress embodied Sleeping beauty and the tangle of thorns and brambles that shielded the castle. She was both the princess and the guardian. 

Flynn was absolutely stunning and Carrie couldn’t stop staring. She looked like a fairytale. She looked like Carrie’s wildest dream. She was wearing Carrie's color. 

Flynn almost never wore pink and Carrie had been chested. This was both the best and worst idea Carrie had ever had. That dress was made for Flynn and Carrie would forever be grateful that she got to witness it, but it also brought the love that she had been quietly working around for the last two years, roaring to the forefront of her mind. There was no shoving it back down. She was hopelessly and completely in love with Flynn Harper. 

Flynn was staring right back at her. Eyes glazed over and cheeks flushed. She looked like the entire world had shifted a few inches to the left without her knowing and she was left to figure out what changed and struggle to regain her balance.  _ Oh. _

“You look beautiful, Flynnie.” Carrie’s voice was strong, but soft, afraid to break the spell that hung over them in the tiny boutique they’d never noticed, on a street they walked down a dozen times. 

Flynn blinked, expression clearing as she met Carrie’s eyes. “You do too, Care, so beautiful.” The words were heavy with an unspoken meaning and they didn’t move. They stayed there in their little warm bubble until Margaret cleared her throat and the spell was broken. 

Blinking rapidly, Carrie faced Margaret, who grinned, clasping her hands in front of her like a mother sending her children off to school for the very first time. “You girls look perfect. Those dresses were made for you. We don’t usually get such perfect fits on the first try. You have a great eye.”

Carrie grinned, still a little shaken. “How much are they? I didn’t see a price tag anywhere.”

Margaret just waved them off though, shaking her head. “Honey, those dresses have been sitting here for so long I was starting to wonder if they were ever going to find their person. Don’t worry about it. You can have them.”

“Margaret, we can’t! These have to be so expensive. It’s not a big deal at all. Let us pay for them. Please.” 

“Nonsense, they’ve made up their minds. They know where they belong and it’s not here anymore.” she laughed when Flynn frowned, “The dress chooses the person, dear. It’s not a coincidence that you found these ones. It was meant to be.” 

So… Carrie was getting witchy vibes from Margaret. Not that she believed in magic, but if she had ever met  _ anyone _ who gave off witch vibes, it was Margaret. This whole thing would be way too weird for her, but her dress. She loved her dress, and Flynn’s dress, and the way Flynn looked in her dress, and Flynn. She was so screwed.

Shoving her Flynn crisis aside once again, they headed back to their dressing rooms to change back into their clothes, handing the dresses off to Margaret to be boxed up. 

Walking out into the heat and craziness of LA was like entering a brand new world and they blinked, eyes adjusting to the sudden light. Looking at each other they burst into giggles. 

“What just happened?” Flynn’s eyes were wide and she looked a little bit in awe of the last hour.

“I have no idea. I’ve never even seen that shop before and I’ve been down here so many times. Margaret was really nice though.” 

“It was weird but I’m not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. The dresses are gorgeous. I want to be a princess damnit.”

Carrie smiled, she was working on it. She just had to figure out how to make it happen. 

~~~~

It was the end of August and Carrie only had a few weeks before she started Grad school. They’d settled into their apartment easily. It was different from sharing a dorm. They were older, a bit more mature. They also had their own rooms. Even if they didn’t use them that often. 

Things felt more settled, like being out of college and the dorm let them relax. Things were also different since that day they found the dresses. Flynn watched her a lot, when she thought Carrie wasn’t looking, like she was looking for something, waiting. She was patient though and never said anything. She just watched, and smiled, going on as normal. 

Carrie, in the meantime, was determined to get Flynn her princess moment and maybe after they could talk? Honestly, she was terrified, but she knew something had changed. There was a feeling in the air, a sense of inevitability. A when, not an if. Carrie wanted that when, she couldn’t wait. 

But Flynn was important and she deserved grand gestures. She deserved castles and sunshine and princess dresses. She deserved the world and Carrie would get it for her, it just took her some time. 

~~~~

It was the beginning of September when things finally came together. Carrie has just finished her last class of the day when she got the phone call that everything was ready.

She’d gotten all the details on the castle from her dad and then reached out to the caretaker. Thomas had been doing his best to keep the grounds preserved and taken care of but there was only so much he could do without adequate funding. It was definitely old and it was crumbling in places but it hadn’t been nearly as bad as she was expecting. She’d approved the funding for whatever projects he had been wanting to do but wasn’t able, and they’d set up a trip for her to come out and check on the progress.

She’d also checked the structural integrity of the building and the ballroom in particular. She had plans and a girl to woo but she didn’t want to damage a historical building to do it. Luckily that portion of the castle was one of the best preserved and it was okay for people to be in it. It wasn’t livable right now and might not ever be, but that was okay. It was gorgeous and an important piece of history and Carrie just wanted to take care of it. While initially a bit prickly that an American girl just out of college was asking him questions about the castle he’d been taking care of for 20 years, Carrie’s willingness to fund whatever he needed and her focus on keeping it preserved rather than functional, had won him over quickly.

It had taken a few weeks but he'd finally approved her plan, confirming it was safe for both them and the castle. 

“Good luck with that lass of yours, Carrie. You’ll have to let me know how it works out. Though from what you’ve told me already, I suspect it will go well. Besides, what girl could resist a castle?” His gruff voice was teasing over the phone. He reminded her of her Grandpa Sam. A little rough around the edges, but a big sweetheart once you got to know him.

“Thank you so much Thomas! I can't even tell you how much I appreciate all the work you’ve done over the years and especially these last few weeks. I’ll let you know how it goes, fingers crossed.” She said with a laugh. She was reasonably confident she knew how it would go, but she was still nervous. 

They wrapped up the conversation and she agreed to give him a call when they arrived on the isle. 

Slipping her phone back into her pocket, she arrived in front of their apartment door. Searching for her keys she finally gave up and knocked on the door, tapping out a little rhythm until she heard Flynn grumble and move towards the door. She dropped her hands and bounced on her feet a bit, trying to contain her excitement. 

The door finally flew open and Flynn scowled at her, “What, you couldn’t find your keys?” Stepping back from the door to let Carrie in, Flynn looked her up and down. “What’s up with you? I haven’t seen you this chipper in months.”

Carrie bounced into the living room, dumping her stuff and grabbing Flynn’s hands. Swaying a bit, she pulled Flynn with her and spun her around briefly. Bringing them to a stop she grinned,“Wanna go on a vacation?”

Flynn raised an eyebrow. “Where? You just started grad school.” 

“The Isle of Mull!”

“What the hell is an Isle of Mull?” 

“It’s an island right off the west coast of Scotland and it’s really pretty and I got us plane tickets. We can go for the week and have a mini break before school gets too crazy for me and work gets too busy for you. It’ll be fun Flynnie, I promise! We never got a vacation after graduation, we just jumped right to the apartment hunt. It’s beautiful there, Flynn. You’ll love it!” 

Flynn hesitated a bit, likely worried about taking a week off of work when she’d only started a few months ago. 

“It’ll be worth it, Flynnie.” She dropped the enthusiasm briefly, meeting Flynn’s eyes.  _ Trust me, please.  _

Flynn searched her face, looking for something and she must have found it because she relaxed, nodding. “Okay, I guess we're going on a vacation then, Care-Bear.” 

Carrie squealed, launching herself at Flynn for a hug. Flynn huffed out a breath, staggering back a few steps but not falling this time. Wrapping her arms around Carrie, she squeezed tight

“We’re going to have so much fun!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Lover by Taylor Swift


	4. Count Down to the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carrie and Flynn take a well deserved vacation and Nick... approves for once?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter, so I will be posting the final chapter later tonight. It’s 6k ish so after that we’ll be all done.
> 
> As always I live off comments and kudos so please let me know what you think. Thank you for reading!! :)

Fighting through the waves of exhaustion sweeping over her, Carrie steered a half asleep Flynn off the plane and to baggage claim. She almost fell asleep standing up, waiting at the side of the rotating belt, as bag after bag went by. 

Blinking to push the tiredness back, she finally spotted Flynn’s red suitcase. They’d tied bandannas to their luggage to make it easier to find amongst hundreds of other bags. Thankfully it worked and it didn’t take too long to find their bags. Carrie’s appeared a few seconds later and they were finally able to head outside, dodging rain puddles as they went, and catch a ride to the hotel. 

Carrie wanted a shower, a nap and food in that order. The flight had been long and even with napping on the plane, they were both exhausted. Jetlag was a bitch. it was ten in the morning local time but her body thought it was two and way past her bedtime. 

They’d planned this first day as a down day, to just get used to the time change and plan what they wanted to do with their time. She knew you were supposed to stay up and match local time to combat jet lag but since they weren’t actually planning to sleep the whole day, they figured it would be okay. There was so much that they wanted to see and they needed to figure out what they were going to do when. Even if it was just a rough outline. 

The next two days they were planning to explore the area, check out museums, the shops, and just walk around to see what they could find. 

She’d put off Princess Day until at least their fourth day on the isle. She had high hopes and everyone, by everyone she meant Nick, her dad, and Thomas, told her it would go perfectly, that Flynn was head over heels in love with Carrie as well. She trusted them, even if Nick was a shit about it. More than that though, she trusted Flynn, she’d seen the glances, the lingering looks, and was about 80% sure Flynn felt the same way but she was still terrified. Just in case it went terribly, in case she was wrong and Flynn wanted to move out and never speak to her again, Carrie wanted Flynn to have a few perfect days of vacation first. 

For the first time, Nick hadn’t laughed at her when she called to talk about Flynn. If she didn’t know better, she would say he actually teared up a little when she told him her plans. 

“Holy shit, I can’t believe the time is finally here. I’ve been yelling at you about telling Flynn for so long that I’m not sure what to do with myself anymore.” He laughed before sobering, clearing his throat and speaking again, “I’m so proud of you Carrie. I know you’re scared and running through all the ways it could go wrong but I’m telling you, that girl’s been in love with you for years. You couldn’t get rid of her if you tried. You think a castle, princess dresses  _ and _ a love confession won’t be the best thing ever? You could have told her you loved her over breakfast one morning and it would have done the trick. But you went for the most extra thing possible. And to think you used to say you didn’t have a romantic bone in your body. 

“It wasn’t my idea Nick. Flynn suggested it, I just listened and made it happen. Besides, it has to be special. She deserves special.”

“Carrie, I don’t think you understand that the best gifts come from someone hearing what you said when you didn’t think they were listening. You did good Carrie, she’ll love it.”

“Thank you, Nick. Thank you for being there, and listening, and calling me out on my shit even if I don’t listen. I love you.” She might have teared up as well by the end of it, but if he ever told someone, she would deny it until her dying breath. Carrie Wilson did not do emotional heart to hearts, unless it was Flynn. She would get sentimental with Flynn any day of the week. 

“I love you too, you mushy lesbian. Go spend time with your girl and have fun!”

“She’s not my girl yet, Nick. Keep up.”

“Please, she’s been your girl for years. You’ve just been too afraid to make it official.” 

And just like that, Nick was back to his usual dickhead self. It was but a brief, shining moment of talking about their feelings and they were right back where they belonged. Just the way she liked it, “I’m hanging up now Nicholas.” 

~~~~

The first day they spent curled up in their hotel room, talking and making plans for everything they wanted to see. Carrie whipped her phone out and pulled up tour sites and museum hours. She loved museums. She had almost added a history minor but she didn’t know what she would do with it, other than getting it for funsies, so she’d decided against it. She was still a history nerd though, and the isle had about a million historical societies and museums and she wanted to see them all. Considering they had less than a week and one of those days was castle day, they had to pick and choose. So it took some planning on both their parts. 

Flynn had asked about the blank day, but Carrie brushed off the question with a nervous laugh, claiming it was a surprise. Flynn narrowed her eyes in suspicion, grumbling half heartedly for a moment before she dropped it, resting her head against Carrie’s and going back to scrolling through tours. 

The second day they went to the Ross of Mull Historical Centre, a small place focusing on local history. Carrie loved it, dragging Flynn from sign to sign, so she could read everything. At one point she had looked up to see Flynn’s eyes on her, soft and fond. When she noticed Carrie looking, a smile bloomed and Carrie grinned back. They stood there smiling like dorks for a few seconds, before someone cleared their throat and they moved so they weren’t blocking the sign anymore. 

They bounced from museum to museum that day, the last two were about art and fashion for Flynn who wasn't nearly as much of a history nerd as Carrie. She had wanted to be a fashion designer when she was little, and was always planning outfits for Carrie and Julie because her best friends should have the coolest clothes, even if she had to make them herself. After managing Julie and the Phantoms in high school, Flynn had decided music management was a better fit, and she was good at it. But she still played around with clothes in her downtime and helped Julie’s band with their stage outfits. 

So Flynn had a soft spot for art and fashion, even if she hadn’t decided to pursue a career in it. Carrie didn’t know that much about fashion, aside from what she’d picked up from Flynn over the years, but the way Flynn’s face lit up the second they stepped foot in the first historical fashion exhibit, took Carrie’s breath away. Now it was Flynn’s turn to take her hand and pull her from sign to sign. Carrie asked questions as they went, perfectly content to watch Flynn go off on lectures on color and fabric choice. Hands waving through the air as she gestured animatedly, emphasizing her words. It was one of the best days she’d had in a while. Now that she thinks about it, most of her best days have to do with Flynn. 

By the time they fell into bed that night, exhausted and feet sore from walking on stone all day, they only had the energy for a quick walk through of the plan for the next day, and what had and hadn’t worked that day that they could adjust for tomorrow. 

Yawning, Carrie pulled Flynn closer and suggested that they stop by a store and get pre packaged snacks to have on hand so they didn’t have to scramble to find a restaurant if they got hungry before they had planned. 

“We had to leave the architectural museum early cause I forgot to eat breakfast. So snacks would be a good idea to have.” 

“Sounds good, there’s a grocery store a block down from the hotel that we can swing by in the morning.” Flynn threw a leg over Carrie’s hip, “Go to sleep Care-Bear. It’s a vacation, it doesn’t have to be perfect. We’re going with the flow. It’ll be fun no matter what.”

“But-”

“Sleep.”

“Yeah, okay.” 

They were both out in less than five minutes and Carrie slept the whole night through, falling into dreams she couldn’t quite remember. Just flashes of braids, gentle waves washing up on the shore, roses twining around a trellis, and brown eyes smiling up at her. 

~~~~

The third day they went shopping. There were a lot of small shops that Flynn wanted to check out. They had ended up in a leather goods shop and Flynn got a new backpack purse with embroidered flowers and butterflies, reminiscent of her dress. Carrie didn’t think she’d done it on purpose since it wasn’t a purse she could wear  _ with _ the dress. Flynn was just a butterflies and flowers person, which always seemed to surprise people. Carrie seemed more like the flower type, and she was, Flynn just was too. There were a lot of things she loved about Flynn, little things like her love for flowers and bigger things like she was the smartest person Carrie had ever met. 

Flynn was strong and didn’t take any shit. She was sarcastic and less likely to get sappy, but she would with Carrie. When it was just the two of them, in the early morning quiet, before the world began to wake up. She would tuck Carries hair behind her ear and they would talk, words whispered in the air, secrets meant only for the two of them. Flynn was smart, she had graduated as valedictorian in high school and aced their very first Psych 101 class that had almost killed them both. She was fearless, she wasn’t afraid to put the business bro’s in their place when they were being dumbasses, which was basically always. She wasn’t afraid to call Carrie on her shit. She didn’t hesitate to get in the face of anyone who was being mean to her friends, Carrie included. She was beautiful. She was beautiful in the middle of an all-nighter, bleary eyed and cranky, or all dolled up for a night out. Flynn was beautiful on the couch in Carrie's sweatshirt throwing popcorn at her, beautiful when she just woke up in the morning, the sunlight hitting her just right. Flynn was gorgeous, and fearless, and strong, and Carrie loved her so much it hurt sometimes. 

Pulling out her phone she texted Nick while Flynn was checking out. 

**Care** : it’s simping over Flynn hours again

**Knick-knack** : it’s always simping over Flynn hours with you. 

**Care:** rude 

**Care** : but I suppose that’s true

**Knick-knack:** what happened now?

**Care:** nothing I’m just thinking about how amazing she is and how much I love her and I can’t tell her until tomorrow because I have  _ a plan _ but if I don’t tell someone I’m going to scream. 

**Care** : So you’re the lucky recipient of me yelling about how much I love Flynn

**Care** : congrats 

**Knick-knack:** I can  _ not _ wait for you to finally tell her so she can listen to you being mushy and I don’t have to (affectionate)

**Care** :  _ *read 10:30am* _

**Knick-knack** : did you turn your read receipts on just to be petty?? 

**Knick-knack** : rude 

**Knick-knack** : have fun   
  


**Care** : thank 


	5. Everything You Can’t Say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Princess day is finally here. We’ve got ballgowns, we’ve got castles, we’ve got dancing... and perhaps finally a love confession?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re at the end of the road guys, thank you so much for reading and following along. I hope the ending does them justice. This was so much fun and the longest thing I’ve written so far. I’ve loved writing soft flarrie and figuring out how they get to their happy ending. Lowkey sad I’m posting the last chapter today but I’m also super excited. 
> 
> Thank you for reading and as always I thrive off kudos and comments! :)

The morning of the fourth day, Carrie woke up with Flynn in her arms. It was sunny for the first time since they had arrived and Carrie took that as a good sign, a little nudge from the universe telling her it would all be okay. 

They hadn’t closed the curtains all the way the night before and the sun streamed in, light falling onto the bed and making Flynn almost glow from where she was wrapped in Carrie’s arms. She was still asleep, a small furrow formed between her brows and she grumbled when Carrie shifted, not happy that her pillow was moving. The furrow smoothed out and disappeared when Carrie held her tighter and she burrowed closer with a small sigh.

This moment was perfect and she wanted to wake up like this every morning. She prayed that today went well, that it would go the way everyone told her it would. That Flynn wouldn’t hate her, wouldn’t leave, that Carrie wouldn’t lose her, would get to wake up with Flynn in her arms every morning. Her stomach rolled uncomfortably at the idea that it could go wrong but she did her best to push it aside. 

Refusing to let the worry take over and ruin her morning, she carefully freed an arm and reached for her phone. Pulling up Nick’s contact, she did quick mental math. He would probably still be at work but it was nearing the end of his day and he would probably answer. 

**Care** : remind me this is a good idea and that it’s not all going to go down in flames. 

**Care** : Nick? 

**Care** : please? 

**Knick-knack** : Caroline Marie Wilson, I swear to god if you chicken out now, I will get on a plane just to smack you in person. You’ve been in love with Flynn for years, she’s been in love with you for years. You’ve both been pining for a ridiculously long time. You forget I’m also friends with Julie. 

**Knick-knack** : go to that castle, have your weird princess moment and put that poor girl out of her misery, TELL HER YOU LOVE HER! 

**Care** : thanks nick

**Knick-Knack** : you’re welcome, I’m going back to work. Go woo your girl. 

Carrie chuckled, locking the phone and tossing it to the bottom of the bed. She turned her attention back to a still sleeping Flynn. Nick somehow always talked her down from the ledge, half the time he did it by pissing her off but it worked so she was never too annoyed. 

He was right. So many people already assumed they were together and she’d seen the way Flynn looked at her. She hadn’t decided to come all the way out here and make a big romantic gesture on the off chance that Flynn felt the same way. She was as sure as she could be without them actually talking about it and they would do that in a few hours. Besides it was Flynn. They were solid, she never had to be afraid with Flynn. 

Flynn made her heart race, set off butterflies in her stomach but she was also Carrie’s safe place. Home was wherever Flynn was, it didn’t matter if she was at Columbia, LA or Scotland. If Flynn was there too, everything would always be okay. They were  _ CarrieandFlynn _ and whatever form that took, they would be okay. 

Just then, Flynn stirred, blinking to adjust to the brightness of the sun. The smile that took over her face when her eyes met Carrie’s, made Carrie’s heart stop for a brief moment.  _ Carrie loved her, Carrie loved her so much. She was beautiful and incredible and Carrie was so lucky to know her.  _ She knew she loved Flynn. It was always there in the back of her mind but then something would happen, Flynn would smile, or say something, or just look at her, and Carrie would realize all over again. 

“This is perfect, every morning should be like this.” Flynn’s voice was still raspy from sleep but she seemed perfectly content, like she could just spend the day right here. Laying in the sun like a cat, soaking up the warmth.

“Yeah?”

She nodded, stretching before a yawn took over. “Yeah.” 

“The sun is amazing. Maybe we should just get rid of the blinds at home. Have sun all the time.”

Flynn frowned slightly, “That’s no- yeah you’re right. But then you would be mad at the sun for waking you up before your alarm and all pouty cause you’re tired.” She seemed much more awake now, stretching and sitting up. 

“Damn, you’re totally right.” Carrie threw off the covers and padded across the room to start the coffee pot. Pot now making it’s happy coffee making noises, she turned and hopped back onto the end of the bed, tucking her feet under her where she sat. 

Now that Flynn was also awake Carrie was more excited than nervous. It was easy to be nervous in the quiet stillness of the morning when she only had her thoughts for company, but this? This was normal, they were awake and waiting for coffee and Flynn was talking her out of bad ideas. There was no room for nerves in sunshine bathing the room in a soft glow. No room for nerves with Flynn smiling at her, nudging Carrie with her foot. 

“What’s up?”

Carrie grinned, tucking hair being her ears and bouncing on her heels a bit. “It's Surprise Day. We’re gonna have so much fun.”

“Do I get to know what the surprise is now?”

“Not yet.”

Flynn groaned, “Caaaarrriiiiee, just tell me the suspense is killing me!”

“No, it’s a good surprise. I promise.” She leaned back on her heels, watching as Flynn fell back against the pillows, flopping her arms over her face with a mock groan. Laughing, she reached forward and poked Flynn’s hip until she looked at her.

“Go get ready. The sooner we get there the sooner you can find out what the surprise is.”

Flynn sat up, pointing a stern finger at Carrie, “Okay fine, but I want the first cup of coffee.” 

She snorted, “Course, I’m not an amateur. Go take a shower.” 

~~~~

While Flynn showered, Carrie bustled around the room, getting dressed and making sure everything was in its place. She’d had the dresses and everything they would need shipped to Thomas last week so that it was all set up without risking getting lost in the mail. 

So really all she had to do was dress comfortably and tidy up. Flynn had just shut the water off when the coffee pot chimed and she pulled a cup down to make Flynn’s coffee. They’d bought a bottle of vanilla creamer at the market down the street and she added a dash of that and 2 sugars, mixing it all together and setting it on the counter for Flynn when she was ready. 

Flopping down on the bed again, she pulled her phone out and texted Julie a good morning before scrolling through instagram to pass the time. The bathroom door opening pulled Carrie from her phone and she hopped off the bed so she could do her morning routine while Flynn dug around in her suitcase to get dressed. 

Disappearing into the still steamy bathroom she tossed over her shoulder a quick, “Your coffee is made up and on the counter and the maroon tank top that you like is in my bag. I borrowed it the first day. Gimmie like fifteen minutes and I can be ready.”

“You’re an angel!” Flynn called from the room and Carrie grinned to herself, reaching for her toiletry bag. 

“You’re just saying that cause I made you coffee.” 

“I’m saying that because it’s true. Fight me about it.” 

“It’s so rude that you want to fight me, Flynnie. Don’t you love me anymore?”

“Always.” 

Carrie’s heart faltered again. She was so glad they were talking about it today. She needed to make sure they were on the same page so her dumb heart would function the way it was supposed to and she wouldn’t almost die everytime Flynn said she loved her, or told her she was perfect, or amazing, or an angel, or any of the phrases she threw around like spare change. Her poor heart couldn’t take it. Shaking it off, she did her best to sound normal when she answered. 

“Aww I love you too, Flynnie.” She heard a thump and a muttered curse coming from the bedroom and she poked her head around the corner, keeping her eyes closed. “You okay?”

“Um, yeah. I just dropped my phone on my foot. I’m dressed by the way, you’re all good.” Flynn sounded weird. Her voice was a bit off and Carrie opened her eyes, scanning Flynn from head to toe. 

“Are you sure your foot’s okay? Last time I dropped my phone on my foot I had a bruise for like two months.”

“That’s because you bruise easily and take forever to heal.” 

“Rude.”

“But yeah, I’m fine. Not even a bump, see.” Flynn stuck her foot out, waving it around slightly. 

“Flynn, you’re wearing socks.”

Flynn looked down. “Fuck, either way it’s fine. Doesn’t even hurt.”

“If you say so. Drink your damn coffee before you drop something else or it gets cold.” 

Flynn flipped Carrie off with a smile. 

~~~~

It took another twenty minutes but they were finally in a cab on the way there. Carrie had set up a little tour first with Thomas. She wanted to see what he’d been working on and also it was a fucking castle and a historical building all in one. That was so freaking cool and she wanted to see everything. She would be freaking out a lot more if she wasn’t more focused on Flynn and what was happening after the tour.

Flynn leaned into her side as they drove out of town, winding through the hills. After about thirty minutes, they finally rounded the last bend and the stone walls came into view, towering above them up on the hill. Flynn sat up when she caught sight of it. 

“Holy shit! That’s so cool.”

Carrie just hummed, trying not to smile and give it all away but Flynn knew her better than that and caught the amusement in Carrie’s voice, looking at her before her jaw dropped. 

“No!”

Carrie lost the battle with keeping her face neutral and grinned at Flynn, nodding her head. “Yes.”

“We get to see it up close?”

“We get to tour it.”

“Oh my god, that’s so fucking cool. How did you even, that wasn’t a listed tour? I checked. It’s private property now and it needs a lot of work.”

Carrie flushed, looking down at her fingers, twisting a loose thread on her jeans. “I might, um, own it?”

“I’m sorry, you what now?” 

“Remember when we were both in our princess phase when we were like eight or nine? I kind of told my dad I wanted a castle when I grew up and he, um… got one?” 

Flynn just stared at her for a second, “That’s like next level rich person shit.”

“Yeah. In his defense though, it’s small and without anyone actually owning it, it had started to fall apart. Thomas, the caretaker, he’s the one giving us the tour, he did his best but didn’t really have the funding for all the projects he wanted to do. So we just, like, helped with that part. He’s done so much work and it looks amazing. There’s a long way to go still but the goal is to eventually open it up as a museum to preserve and share it’s history. We just want to make sure it’s secure and safe for visitors and that it won't damage the structure. It’s totally safe for us though. I made sure. It just isn’t up for a heavy visitor load yet. 

“That is extra as hell and I love you for it. You have a castle. We’re going to a castle.”

Carrie nodded, “We’re going to a castle.”

Flynn laughed, leaning back into Carrie’s side “Tell me honestly, how much is your little nerd heart freaking out right now?”

“So much, you don’t even know.” 

“I knew it.”

~~~~

They finally pulled up right on schedule and Thomas was waiting for them in the driveway. Thanking the driver, Carrie paid and they hopped out. Squeezing Flynn’s hand quickly, Carrie moved forward to meet Thomas. 

Exchanging a quick hug, she stepped back and grabbed Flynn’s hand again. “Flynn, this is Thomas. He’s the caretaker and the one who’s kept this place running and looking good. Thomas this is Flynn, she’s amazing.”

Flynn snorted, reaching out to shake Thomas’s hand. “I should always have her do my introductions. She makes me sound much cooler than I am.”

Carrie bumped Flynns shoulder with a grin, “You are cool, the coolest.”

“You’re such a nerd.”

“Awww.”

Carrie finally glanced away from Flynn to see Thomas watching them, looking rather amused by the exhange. Noticing Carrie’s attention on him again, he raised a brow, smirking. She glared at him half heartedly. She knew she was about as subtle as a brick but he wasn’t helping either. 

Heading inside he gestured over his shoulder for them to follow. “Alright girls, come on in and I’ll show ya what we’ve been working on.” 

~~~~

Walking around and seeing the projects he’d done and how absolutely gorgeous the inside was, was almost enough to distract Carrie from why they were there. Almost.

But she was in heaven and Flynn looked like she was having just as much fun, when she wasn’t watching Carrie geek out over the stories Thomas was telling as they moved from room to room, 

It was gorgeous, the stories the stone walls could tell if they could talk. It was incredible standing in a space that had stood for centuries, hundreds of people had walked down these same corridors years and years ago. Back when the world looked different. It was kind of eerie, but in the best possible way. 

Thomas has done such an incredible job. Things obviously needed to be repaired in places to be safe but it had its original essence and it still looked like it would have in its prime. 

They finally came to a stop in front of a door inset in a little alcove. 

“Final stop, ladies. This is where I’ll leave you. You can do your own wandering around. Just stay in the parts that we’ve already walked through. The rest of the castle still needs a lot of work and it’s not safe. Give me a ring when you’re done and I’ll make sure everything is locked up. 

Flynn looked a bit confused but Carrie just nodded, thanking Thomas as he headed back down the hallway. 

Once they were alone, Carrie turned back to Flynn taking a deep breath. The nerves had returned a bit, but not bad at all. 

“What are we doing? Are we exploring? I thought we were just getting the tour of what Thomas was working on?”

“Do you remember during finals in June when we were going on two days with no sleep? What you said about living your best life?”

Flynn furrowed her eyebrows, thinking back. “Carrie I don’t know how you expect me to remember something I said on two days with no sleep, nearly three months ago. I could have said the sky was brown and it would have made sense to me at the ti-” She broke off, eyes going wide as they flew to meet Carrie’s. 

“No!” She gasped, mouth dropping open. 

Carrie grinned and opened the door to the little powder room. Their dresses were draped carefully over chairs, laid out just so. The shoes, jewelry, and tiaras Carrie had collected over the summer, while Flynn was distracted with other things, were spaced out on the table by the dresses. 

Carrie turned, taking in Flynns reaction. Flynn looked like she was in shock. Frozen in the doorway, gaping at the dresses. 

She finally turned to Carrie, eyes wide and filling with tears. Oh shit, oh no. She didn’t think Flynn would cry. What did she do? Fuck. She had just opened her mouth to apologize when Flynn finally found her voice. 

“You got me a princess day? An honest to god, running through a castle in a poofy dress in the sunshine, princess day?” The words were quiet, awed and Carrie felt the panic settle back down. 

She smiled, raising her thumb to brush the small tear that had fallen, clinging to the curve of Flynn's cheekbone. Flynn leaned into the touch, closing her eyes and Carrie’s heart swooped. God, she loved Flynn so much. 

“Of course I did Flynnie. You deserve all the princess days.” Carrie’s voice was hushed, afraid to disturb the spell that had fallen over the room. 

Flynn’s eyes blinked open slowly and she scanned Carrie’s face, searching. She paused for a moment before a sunshine smile bloomed, lighting up the room and making Carrie’s breath catch in her chest. 

“You are amazingly perfect, Care-Bear. You’re the best person I know.” Flynn held eye contact with the words, she was insistent. Like it was the most important thing she’d said in a while. Like she wanted, needed, Carrie to understand what she was telling her. 

Carrie froze, she was not emotionally prepared for the intensity that came with those words. Flynn had to feel the same way. There was no way she didn’t. But first things first. 

“Let’s get you your princess moment, Flynnie.” She leaned in, pressing her lips to Flynn’s cheek before pulling back with a smile. 

Flynn searched Carrie’s face again before nodding. “You first, getting that thing done up is definitely a two person job.”

Carrie laughed, walking over to the table and kicking her shoes off. With her back to Flynn, she slipped her hoodie over her head and shimmied out of her leggings. Reaching for the petticoats, she stepped in, pulling it up and tying it into place. 

Flynn grabbed the dress off the chair and loosened the ties, holding it for Carrie to slide on. Carrie carefully let it fall down around her feet and once it was mostly covering her, she slipped her bra off and looped her arms through the straps. Sweeping her hair out of the way, she spun to allow Flynn to start on the laces. 

Flynn’s hands were hesitant at the start but she quickly adjusted to what she was doing, doing up the laces quickly. About halfway up, her knuckles brushed against the bare skin along Carrie’s spine and she shivered, goosebumps rising in response.

“Sorry, I know you’re ticklish.” Flynn’s voice was practically a whisper and Carrie shook her head.

“It’s okay. Thank you for helping with the laces. Margaret had to help last time cause I couldn’t reach it.” 

Flynn just hummed, fingers still working the laces. Before Carrie knew it, Flynn was all done, resting her chin on Carrie’s shoulder briefly. 

“All done.”

“Thank you.” Carrie turned, not realizing how close Flynn was still standing, until her face was only inches away. Her eyes dropped to Flynn’s lips before she cleared her throat, stepping back. 

“Um, do you need help with yours? I can't tell if it laces up and the laces are just tucked away, or if it has a zip.”

“Yeah, it laces. It’s not a lot but still. I could actually use a hand if you don’t mind.”

“Course.”

They repeated the same process as before. Flynn stripping out of the jeans, tank, and jean jacket. She was more careful than Carrie had been. Folding them neatly and placing them on the table, stepping over the pile Carrie had left in the process. She hurried to scoop them off the floor and onto the table so she could grab Flynn’s dress. Holding it up, Flynn slipped into it, fabric falling into place around her. She looked beautiful, and she wasn’t even fully into it yet. She gestured for Flynn to turn so she could get to the laces and started tightening.

“Let me know where you want it so I don’t get it too tight.” She didn’t want to cut off Flynn’s oxygen supply, especially if they were going to be running.

“Honestly, you’re doing great.” 

“Awesome.”

It didn’t take long to finish with the laces and Flynn turned, skirts flaring slightly as she faced Carrie again. 

“Thanks Care-Bear.” Looking at the table she laughed. “Did you get tiaras for this too?”

“Um, maybe?”

Flynn pulled a straight face. “I admire your dedication. Let’s do this.”

Carrie stepped into the slippers she’d gotten, she knew  _ she _ wasn’t graceful enough for heels in these hallways. Flynn on the other hand, could run through a hole filled field in heels and not even stumble. Carrie was more than a little jealous of that skill. 

Crossing to the table she reached for the first tiara. It looked like the typical tiara underneath but it was covered in blue and clear crystals, twinned together with silver filigree. It looked more like a fairy crown than anything else, but the second she had seen it she knew it was the one. It matched the pale blue and delicate white flowers of her dress perfectly. Setting it on her head, she felt a little silly but they were committing to their plan for the day. They may as well go all in. Turning back to Flynn she unclasped the diamond choker and held it out. 

“Can you give me a hand? I can never get these on right.” 

Flynn nodded, moving forward and taking the necklace from Carrie’s hand. “Turn.”

Flynn’s hands came around in front of Carrie, bringing the necklace around her neck. Clasping it behind her, Carrie felt the weight settle, the cold metal a shock before it slowly started to warm against her skin. Facing Flynn, she pushed her hair back behind her shoulders and smiled. 

“Thanks. Here, this one is yours.” She reached back to the table, grabbing the second crown. 

It was a twisting web of pearls and golden details with crystal flowers of the lightest pink. Delicate silver butterflies were placed here and there, blending with the flowers. It complimented Flynn’s dress perfectly. She turned, placing it on Flynn’s hair gently. Flynn had slipped her shoes on while Carrie was at the table, and the added height meant she had to lean down slightly to let Carrie reach her head. It was weird having Flynn be taller than her, but she didn’t hate it. 

Stepping back, she took in the full picture. Gorgeous pink gown, tiara and the long necklace, ending in a teardrop shaped pearl. 

_ Wow _ . 

The number of times that she had been reminded that she loved Flynn over the last few days was almost excessive. Maybe it was knowing this day was coming. That she would finally tell Flynn that she was in love with her. It brought all the feelings she’d gotten reasonably good at shoving down, rushing right back up to the surface and it didn’t take much for them to wash over her. 

“You look… incredible.” It was true, Flynn looked, she looked perfect. Like she was meant for this moment. Like everything was falling into place, exactly as it was meant to. 

Flynn blushed lightly, “And you look perfect. You should wear blue more often.”

“Thanks.” Carrie could feel her cheeks going pink as well. 

Okay this wasn’t productive at all. She held a hand out and Flynn grabbed it, twining their fingers together. 

“Let’s do this.” They crossed to the door, opening it and stepping out into the hallway. The quiet spell that had blanketed the room behind them was long gone as they stood in an empty stone hallway.

Flynn leaned in, whispering, “Um, I didn’t actually think out how we would do this. It was kind of a mid action fantasy dream. Do we just start running? That feels weird?”

Carrie paused, fuck. She hadn’t thought of that either. She thought for a minute before finally, “Oh!” 

Flynn jumped a bit at the sudden outburst and Carrie apologized before tapping Flynns shoulder with a grin, “Tag, you’re it.” With that she laughed and took off down the hallway. 

“Carrie!” Carrie heard Flynn shout behind her before she gave chase. 

Picking her skirts up Carrie ran faster, hair bouncing around her shoulders and skirts flowing behind her. Risking a glance over her shoulder, she saw Flynn not far behind her, skirts in hand and a determined glint in her sparkling eyes. 

“I’m gonna win, Carrie.” Flynn called and she was actually gaining on Carrie, even in heels which so wasn’t fair. It didn’t help that the wild giggles she couldn’t stop were slowing Carrie down. 

“It’s not a competition, Flynnie!” Carrie did her best to gasp out around the giggles. Maybe she needed to add more cardio to her workout routine. She’d expected the dress to be heavy but she wasn’t expecting to be laughing while she was trying to run in a heavy dress. It was just the perfect day. She had a princess dress, she was running through a castle in said princess dress, and most importantly, she had Flynn. Who was almost within grabbing distance and would in fact win, because she was competitive as shit and Carrie loved that about her.

“No, it’s a game and I always win game nights.” Flynn's voice was right behind her and Carrie shrieked, putting on a last burst of speed as she rounded the corner. It didn’t help and Flynn’s arm snaked around her waist seconds later, the momentum swinging her around until she came to a stop chest to chest with Flynn. They were both breathing hard, smiles stretching across their faces. Flynn leaned forward, dropping a quick kiss to the tip of Carrie’s nose.

“You’re it.” And with that she was gone, the clicking of her heels hitting stone echoing through the corridor. Carrie took just a moment to catch her breath and appreciate the way Flynn’s dress flew behind her as she ran, before taking off after her. 

It wasn’t like she’d imagined. They couldn’t run in slow motion in real life. It was pounding feet, fingers clutching skirts and trying not to trip on the bit of fabric still trailing on the floor. The sun was shining through the windows, casting warm patches on the stone floor, light catching on the crystals and gems of their tiaras, but it was also warm. They were running, it was sunny and their dresses were heavy, so it was hot. Carrie had a light sheen of sweat gathering at her temples. There were smiles tossed over shoulders, but they were also laughing so hard they stumbled a few times. 

So no, it wasn’t quite like she’d imagined because that had been a fantasy and this was real life. This was Flynn and Carrie and they were here, present in the moment and it was better than any fantasy she could have dreamed up. So she chased Flynn down the hallway, the pounding of shoes and breathless giggles echoed off the walls and it was perfect. 

Flynn came to a sliding stop in front of an open doorway and Carrie almost slid right into her but stopped herself in time, bracing her hands on Flynn’s hips so she didn’t fall over. Coordination was not her thing. Not anymore anyways. 

Panting slightly she leaned forward, squeezing Flynn into a quick hug, “Got you.” She propped her chin on Flynn’s shoulder. “What’s up?”

They were standing in front of an empty ballroom, the curtains were drawn back and the setting sun was streaming in through the windows, giving the room a golden glow. Soft music was playing from the small speaker by the window. She could recognize the violin of Lindsey Stirling’s  _ Hallelujah,  _ her favorite cover. __

Flynn spun, facing Carrie again. Her face was serious for the first time but her eyes still shone, “Dance with me?” 

Carrie smiled softly and took Flynn’s outstretched hand. “Always.”

Together they crossed to the center of the room. Resting one hand on Flynn’s shoulder and the other holding hers, they circled in a gentle waltz around the room. “When did you learn ballroom?”

Flynn nodded, “My mom made me learn for my cousin's wedding junior year of high school. She was having one of those formal fancy weddings with choreographed dances and everything.” 

“Wow, that’s… intense. Was it at least a fun wedding?”

“It was interesting, that’s for sure. They’re kind of both awful though so they’re the perfect match.”

“Yikes.”

“Yeah, they’re an… acquired taste that I have yet to acquire.”

Carrie giggled, “That was the most diplomatic thing I think I’ve ever heard you say.” 

“Don’t get used to it. Mom just says I’m not allowed to shit talk the family. I have to be a  _ lady _ about it.” The quotation marks around the words were almost audible as Flynn rolled her eyes with a sigh. 

Flynn focused back on the moment, a playful smile appearing right as she spun Carrie out. Carries skirts flared out, wrapping around her gently before Flynn pulled her back in, closer than before, and she inhaled sharply, not expecting the sudden proximity. Their skirts brushed together as they swayed together, no longer moving around the room. 

Flynn dropped her arms, moving to rest her hands on Carrie’s waist and Carrie draped her hands over Flynn’s shoulders. Dancing like they would have if they were on speaking terms at senior prom. Carrie felt a sudden pain that she had missed out on that chance, but they were here now. 

Flynn’s eyes sparkled when they met Carrie’s and her breath caught. She distantly realized that they had stopped swaying and were frozen in place. Flynn’s hand came up to cup Carrie’s cheek, eyes dropping to her lips and Carrie knew this was it. After years of shoving her feelings down, burying them until she could largely ignore them. She was finally going to tell Flynn. 

Her heart was pounding and she was about to say something when Flynn moved closer. Leaning in ever so slowly, her eyes darted from Carrie’s lips to her eyes and back again. She stopped a few inches away, letting Carrie make the final choice, to lean in or pull away. She didn’t even have to think about it. Surging forward, she closed the last few inches between them.

Her eyes fell closed as their lips met and she tightened the arms she had thrown around Flynn’s neck, shifting as close as the miles of fabric in the skirts would allow. 

It felt like coming home, like cozy dorm rooms and the peaceful early morning quiet of their apartment. Like warm smiles and hugs and movie nights. Like waking up with Flynn in her arms. Just an extension of who they’d always been. 

Pulling back, Flynn dropped her hand to Carrie’s shoulder. Blinking her eyes open, Carrie stared at her. Oh my God, Flynn kissed her, or she kissed Flynn. Someone had kissed someone. 

Flynn smiled, distracting Carrie from the racing thoughts, “I love you.” 

“Wait, really?”

Flynn snorted, “What do you mean ‘really’. I’ve been in love with you for years and I thought I was being really obvious about it and you must not have felt the same way. But you do, don’t you?”

Carrie groaned, dropping her head to Flynn’s shoulder with a muttered, “Nick is never going to let me live this down. He’ll be saying I told you so when I’m sixty.”

Flynn laughed, “Nick’s judging you, huh?”

“Yes! He’s been such an asshole about it. All ‘you need to tell Flynn that you love her, Carrie.’ And ‘call Flynn if you miss her so much. I’m at work, Carrie.’ He’s insufferable.”

“You love me?” Is what Flynn chose to focus on however and then, “You missed me?”

Carrie blushed, she hadn’t quite meant to let that all slip out right away. The missing Flynn part that is, the loving her part was long overdue. 

“Yeah, I’ve loved you since before I can remember. It just took me until junior year to realize it.”

“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” The question was quiet, a hint of vulnerability creeping in. 

“You’re the most important person in my life, Flynnie. I didn’t know how you felt and I was terrified of losing you. I miss you every time you’re not there. You’re my best friend, I love you and I want you in my life in whatever way you’re comfortable with. Even if that’s only as best friends or roommates.” It wasn’t the speech she’d been planning on making but it summed everything up pretty well.

Flynn was staring at her, tears gathering in her eyes before she launched herself at Carrie in a hug. “You’re such a nerd and I love you so much!” 

Pulling back she grabbed Carrie’s hands, meeting her eyes, Flynn took a deep breath “Carrie Wilson, will you be my girlfriend, my roommate, and my best friend?”

Tears pricked Carrie’s eyes and when she laughed it was a little choked and awed. “Always.” Cupping Flynn’s jaw, she leaned in, kissing her again. They were both smiling too hard for it to be effective but Carrie was so happy it was worth it. 

Flynn pulled back slightly, “How long did it take to set this up anyways? Did you plan dress shopping? I swear I’ve never seen that place before.”

“I’ve been trying to find a way to get you here for months but I didn’t plan for Margaret. I’m pretty sure she’s a witch though. I’ve never seen that shop either and it popped up just when I was trying to figure out what to do about pining. I’m pretty sure this whole thing has given Nick an ulcer though.”

Flynn laughed, “Julie too, she’s sick of me going on and on about being in love with you, and your smile, and how much it drives me crazy when you wear my clothes.”

Carrie thought back over the last few years and it finally clicked. “Oh my god! I was wondering what was up with you senior year. You would just like, stop mid-sentence and then claim you forgot something and leave. You have such a good memory, I thought you were just stressed!”

It was Flynn’s turn to groan and hide in Carrie’s shoulder. “It’s not my fault you’re so pretty Carrie, I’m a simple lesbian. Pretty girl makes my brain go hnnggg. Pretty girl I’m in love with, who has a habit of wearing my clothes, makes my brain stop working entirely.”

She giggled, “I think I died every time you called me perfect, or amazing, or incredible, or anything like that.”

Flynn perked up and Carrie instantly regretted mentioning that. “You’re not going to forget that are you?”

“Nope.” Flynn was smirking now, looking pleased with herself and Carrie huffed. 

“Fine but I’m not going to stop stealing your clothes.” 

“Works for me.” Wiggling her eyebrows she added, “Wanna get out of here?” 

At Carries nod, Flynn kissed Carrie’s cheek, tapping the tip of her nose lightly. “You’re it.”

Carrie grinned, “I’ll catch you this time.” Releasing her hold on Flynn’s waist, she let Flynn back away towards the door, slowly moving towards her. 

“I’ll let you.” Flynn tossed her a wink and whirled around. The pink swish of her skirts disappeared around the corner. Carrie waited a beat before gathering up her skirts and following. She would follow Flynn anywhere. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title is from Say by RaeLynn ft. Dan + Shay  
> Fic title is from Heartbeat by Carrie Underwood. 
> 
> I love it when we're at a party in a down-town crowd  
> Oh but I can hear you call me baby with the music up loud  
> Red wine, good times, no I don't mind being with everyone else  
> And then there's night life tonight that I, I want you to myself
> 
> And tonight I wanna drive so far we'll only find static on the radio  
> And we can't see those city lights and I love the way you look in a firefly glow  
> Saying everything without making a sound,  
> A cricket choir in the background, underneath a harvest moon  
> Standing on your shoes in my bare feet, dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat  
> Oh woah, and we're dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat
> 
> I wanna feel it like a kick drum, beating faster in your chest  
> I wanna feel you holding onto me and make me hold my breath  
> You pull me closer, my head on your shoulder, baby we won't beat the song  
> We'll make a fallen star wish, one more slow kiss, what are we waiting on?
> 
> And tonight I wanna drive so far we'll only find static on the radio  
> And we can't see those city lights and I love the way you look in a firefly glow  
> Saying everything without making a sound,  
> A cricket choir in the background, underneath a harvest moon  
> Standing on your shoes in my bare feet, dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat  
> Yeah we're dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat
> 
> I wanna feel it like a kick drum, beating faster in your chest  
> And tonight I wanna drive so far we'll only find static on the radio  
> And we can't see those city lights and I love the way you look in a firefly glow  
> Saying everything without making a sound,  
> A river rolling in the background, underneath a harvest moon  
> Standing on your shoes in my bare feet, dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat  
> And we're dancing to the rhythm of your heartbeat

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter title a slight change to a lyric from Pierre by Ryn Weaver


End file.
